I have no taste for either poverty or honest labor, so writing is the only recourse left for me

Old elephants limp off to the hills to die; old Americans go out to the highway and drive themselves to death with huge cars.

I understand that fear is my friend, but not always. Never turn your back on Fear. It should always be in front of you, like a thing that might have to be killed. My father taught me that, along with a few other things that have kept my life interesting.

Absolute truth is a very rare and dangerous commodity in the context of professional journalism.

I guess I'm just courtly until people get in my way. You'll find most Southerners are like that.

I'd almost prefer [Richard] Nixon. I'd say [Bill] Clinton is every bit as corrupt as Nixon, but a lot smoother.

Fear is a healthy instinct, not a sign of weakness. It is a natural self-defense mechanism that is common to felines, wolves, hyenas, and most humans. Even fruit bats know fear, and I salute them for it. If you think the world is weird now, imagine how weird it would be if wild beasts had no fear.