A politician's goal is always to manipulate public debate. I think there are some politicians with higher goals. But all of them get corrupted by power.

The broom wasn't as comforting as a flamethrower would have been, but it was better than a mop and certainly more threatening than a feather duster.

She lived for others, her heart tuned to their anguish and their needs.

I don't write a quick draft and then revise; instead, I work slowly page by page, revising and polishing.

Like children, dogs want discipline and are most secure when they have rules to live by. The happiest dogs are those with gentle masters who quietly but firmly demand respect.

Language can't describe reality. Literature has no stable reference, no real meaning. Each reader's interpretation is equally valid, more important than the author's intention. In fact, nothing in life has meaning. Reality is subjective. Values and truths are subjective. Life itself is a kind of illusion. Blah, blah, blah, let's have another scotch.

Home is the first refuge from - and last defense against - the disappointments and the terrors of life.