In order to be a great writer a person must have a built-in, shockproof crap detector.

There isn't any me. I'm you. Don't make up a separate me.

Often a man wishes to be alone and a girl wishes to be alone too and if they love each other they are jealous of that in each other, but I can truly say we never felt that. We could feel alone when we were together, alone against the others. But we were never lonely and never afraid when we were together.

He did not say that because he knew that if you said a good thing it might not happen.

There is never any ending to Paris and the memory of each person who has lived in it differs from that of any other. We always returned to it no matter who we were or how it was changed or with what difficulties, or ease, it could be reached. Paris was always worth it and you received return for whatever you brought to it. But this is how Paris was in the early days when we were very poor and very happy.

In the early morning on the lake sitting in the stern of the boat with his father rowing, he felt quite sure that he would never die.

There are two kinds of stories, the ones you live and the ones you make up. And nobody knows the difference, and I don't ever tell which is which.