If there were no hell, we would be like the animals. No hell, no dignity.

On the subject of the feminist business, I just never think...of qualities which are specifically feminine or masculine. I suppose I divide people into two classes: the Irksome and the Non-Irksome without regard to sex. Yes and there are the Medium Irksome and the Rare Irksome.

To expect too much is to have a sentimental view of life and this is a softness that ends in bitterness.

I am a writer because writing is the thing I do best.

It is the business of the artist to uncover the strangeness of truth

So many people can now write competent stories that the short story is in danger of dying of competence.

I'm a full-time believer in writing habits...You may be able to do without them if you have genius but most of us only have talent and this is simply something that has to be assisted all the time by physical and mental habits or it dries up and blows awayOf course you have to make your habits in this conform to what you can do. I write only about two hours every day because that's all the energy I have, but I don't let anything interfere with those two hours, at the same time and the same place.