I feel that discussing story-writing in terms of plot, character, and theme is like trying to describe the expression on a face by saying where the eyes, nose, and mouth are.

A story has to have muscle as well as meaning, and the meaning has to be in the muscle.

It is better to be young in your failures than old in your successes.

I have enough energy to write with and as that is all I have any business doing anyhow, I can with one eye squinted take it all as a blessing.

Sickness is a place, ... and it's always a place where there's no company, where nobody can follow.

I use the grotesque the way I do because people are deaf and dumb and need help to see and hear.

I was a very ancient twelve; my views at that age would have done credit to a Civil War veteran. I am much younger now than I was at twelve or anyway, less burdened. The weight of the centuries lies on children, I'm sure of it.