The mind travels faster than the pen; consequently, writing becomes a question of learning to make occasional wing shots, bringing down the bird of thought as it flashes by. A writer is a gunner, sometimes waiting in the blind for something to come in, sometimes roaming the countryside hoping to scare something up.

Dentistry is more impressive in town-what the rural man calls cleaning the teeth is called "prophylaxis" in New York.

I am always humbled by the infite ingenuity of the Lord, who can make a red barn cast a blue shadow.

I am reminded of the advice of my neighbor. "Never worry about your heart till it stops beating.

When you consider that there are a thousand ways to express even the simplest idea, it is no wonder writers are under a great strain. Writers care greatly how a thing is said - it makes all the difference. So they are constantly faced with too many choices and must make too many decisions.

If a man is to be obsessed by something, I suppose a boat is as good as anything, perhaps a bit better than most.

Children hold spring so tightly in their brown fists-just as grownups, who are less sure of it, hold it in their hearts.