Every man's life ends the same way. It is only the details of how he lived and how he died that distinguish one man from another.

Now Catherine would die. That was what you did. You died. You did not know what it was about. You never had time to learn. They threw you in and told you the rules and the first time they caught you off base they killed you. Or they killed you gratuitously like Aymo. Or gave you the syphilis like Rinaldi. But they killed you in the end. You could count on that. Stay around and they would kill you.

Real seriousness in regard to writing being one of the two absolute necessities. The other, unfortunately, is talent.

Life is pain, so live it up while you can.

For a poet he threw a very accurate milk bottle.

You ought to dream. All our biggest businessmen have been dreamers.

Do you know how an ugly woman feels? Do you know what it is to be ugly all your life and inside to feel that you are beautiful? It is very rare.