Falling in love is like religious conversion. It goes on for a long time below the threshold before it reaches consciousness.

Thunderstorms were rare in California, but when they came they were, like most things in California, larger than life.

Were modern cities only beautiful after darkness hid everything but their lights?

Even a small, everyday lie is a clue to the personality and preoccupations of the liar, like a dream or any other confection of the mind, that is half-conscious and half-unconscious, as all creative acts must be.

money is an acquired taste that grows as it is fed.

That's the one thing a politician mustn't have - political opinions or principles. He can have prejudices - indeed he must have prejudices and share all the popular political superstitions of the moment as ardently as he can. But he must not have principles. He must never let the people suspect that they cannot eat their cake and have it. He must promise them a defense program and a higher standard of living. He must never use that dreadful little word or.

Privacy is like sleep - something you don't appreciate until you have to go without it.