One must be careful with words. Words turn probabilities into facts and by sheer force of definition translate tendencies into habits.

It is easier for the reader to judge, by a thousand times, than for the writer to invent. The writer must summon his Idea out of nowhere, and his characters out of nothing, and catch words as they fly, and nail them to the page. The reader has something to go by and somewhere to start from, given to him freely and with great generosity by the writer. And still the reader feels free to find fault.

No one seemed able to look at themselves, coolly, from the outside. Their reality was all that could be seen in the light cast ahead by their own wishful thinking.

So much for the fruits of love. Love? What's love? Sex, ah, that's another thing. Love has babies: sex has abortions.

Writers are always a great nuisance to publishers. If they could do without them, they would.

One can learn, at least. One can go on learning until the day one is cut off.

Because one cause is bad does not make the opposing cause good.