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

The writer should never be ashamed of staring. There is nothing that does not require his attention.

You will have found Christ when you are concerned with other people’s sufferings and not your own.

Poorly written novels--no matter how pious and edifying the behavior of the characters--are not good in themselves and are therefore not really edifying.

All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful.

People without hope not only don’t write novels, but what is more to the point, they don’t read them. They don’t take long looks at anything, because they lack the courage. The way to despair is to refuse to have any kind of experience, and the novel, of course, is a way to have experience.

Nobody with a good car needs to be justified.