I mean it's very hard to meditate and live a spiritual life in America. People think you're a freak if you try to.

I think that one of these days," he said, "you're going to have to find out where you want to go. And then you've got to start going there. But immediately. You can't afford to lose a minute. Not you.

It's one of those places that are supposed to be very sophisticated and all, and the phonies are coming in the window.

If there's one thing I hate, it's the movies. Don't even mention them to me.

If you have something to offer, someone will learn something from you. It's a beautiful reciprocal arrangement. And it isn't education. It's history. It's poetry.

Sometimes I see me dead in the rain.

The rest, with very little exaggeration, was books. Meant-to-be-picked-up books. Permanently-left-behind books. Uncertain-what-to-do-with books. But books, books. Tall cases lined three walls of the room, filled to and beyond capacity. The overflow had been piled in stacks on the floor. There was little space left for walking, and none whatever for pacing.