When I was a little boy, they called me a liar, but now that I am grown up, they call me a writer.

When a human kills an animal for food, he is neglecting his own hunger for justice. Man prays for mercy, but is unwilling to extend it to others. Why should man then expect mercy from God? It's unfair to expect something that you are not willing to give.

The very essence of literature is the war between emotion and intellect, between life and death. When literature becomes too intellectual - when it begins to ignore the passions, the emotions - it becomes sterile, silly, and actually without substance.

One has to trust that God knows how to manage the world.

As much as I can give of myself I give of myself. There's no reason why not. And when I have to hide something, I let the character speak.

The storyteller and poet of our time, as in any other time, must be an entertainer of the spirit in the full sense of the word, not just a preacher of social or political ideals. There is no paradise for bored readers and no excuse for tedious literature that does not intrigue the reader, uplift him, give him the joy and the escape that true art always grants.

There is a plan to this universe. There is a high intelligence, maybe even a purpose, but it's given to us on the installment plan.