Memory is the most transient of all possessions. And when it goes, it leaves as few traces as stars that have disappeared.

Despite all the cynical things writers have said about writing for money, the truth is we write for love. That is why it is so easy to exploit us.

A new dog never replaces an old dog, it merely expands the heart.

I am thinking of the onion again. . . . Not self-righteous like the proletarian potato, nor a siren like the apple. No show-off like the banana. But a modest, self-effacing vegetable, questioning, introspective, peeling itself away, or merely radiating halos like ripples.

You should write first drafts as if they will never be shown to anyone.

Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.

You're not too fat; you're just in the wrong country.