The little girl on the plane Who turned her doll's head around To look at me.

I wouldn't exactly describe her as strictly beautiful. She knocked me out, though.

Then I’d throw my automatic down the elevator shaft-after I’d wiped off all the fingerprints and all. Then I’d crawl back up to my room and call up Jane and have her come over and bandage up my guts. I pictured her holding a cigarette for me to smoke while I was bleeding and all. The goddam movies. They can ruin you. I’m not kidding.

Just go to bed, now. Quickly. Quickly and slowly.

This is a people shooting hat," I said. "I shoot people in this hat.

It's partly true, too, but it isn't all true. People always think something's all true.

I'm beginning to feel that no author has the right to tear his characters apart if he doesn't know how, or feel that he knows how (poor sucker) to put them together again. I'm tired—my God, so tired—of leaving them all broken on the page with just 'The End' written underneath.