There was no time for scholarly details, and, besides, I have always believed that a man can fairly be judged by the standards and taste of his choices in matters of high-level plagiarism.

I just usually go with my own taste. If I like something, and it happens to be against the law, well, then I might have a problem.

Happy," I muttered, trying to pin the word down. But it is one of those words, like Love, that I have never quite understood. Most people who deal in words don’t have much faith in them and I am no exception – especially the big ones like Happy and Love and Honest and Strong. They are too elusive and far to relative when you compare them to sharp, mean little words like Punk and Cheap and Phony. I feel at home with these, because they’re scrawny and easy to pin, but the big ones are tough and it takes either a priest or a fool to use them with any confidence.

As you were, I was. As I am, you will be.

and the sad notes floated out to the patio and hung in the trees like birds too tired to fly

I was never idle long enough to do much thinking, but I felt somehow that my instincts were right.

Truth is weirder than any fiction I've seen.