I pity people who do not care for Society. They are poorer for the oblation they do not make.

What must novel dialogue . . . really be and do? It must be pointed, intentional, relevant. It must crystallize situation. It must express character. It must advance plot. During dialogue, the characters confront one another. The confrontation is in itself an occasion. Each one of these occasions, throughout the novel, is unique.

the slight sense of degeneracy induced by reading novels before luncheon

Art is one thing that can go on mattering once it has stopped hurting.

There's something so showy about desperation, it takes hard wits to see it's a grandiose form of funk.

If a theme or idea is too near the surface, the novel becomes simply a tract illustrating an idea.

Dialogue should show the relationships among people.