No man is a man unless to his woman he is a pioneer.

Do come back and draw the ferrets, they are the most lovely noble darlings in the world.

The American grips himself, at the very sources of his consciousness, in a grip of care: and then, to so much of the rest of life, is indifferent. Whereas, the European hasn't got so much care in him, so he cares much more for life and living.

The artist usually sets out -- or used to -- to point a moral and adorn a tale. The tale, however, points the other way, as a rule. Two blankly opposing morals, the artist's and the tale's. Never trust the artist. Trust the tale. The proper functions of a critic is to save the tale from the artist who created it.

The near touch of death may be a release into life; if only it will break the egoistic will, and release that other flow.

You have to have something vicious in you to be a creative writersomething old-adamish, incompatible to the "ordinary world.

Good God, what does it matter? If life is a tragedy, or a farce, or a disaster, or anything else, what do I care! Let life be what it likes. Give me a drink, that's what I want just now.