...when men ignite in their hearts a religious fury, they inflict at the same time a blindness on their eyes.

a soldier lives always for the next battle, because he knows that before it arrives impossible changes can occur in his favor.

Although most of us know Vincent van Gogh in Arles and Paul Gauguin in Tahiti as if they were neighbors -- somewhat disreputable but endlessly fascinating -- none of us can name two French generals or department store owners of that period. I take enormous pride in considering myself an artist, one of the necessaries.

In six pages, I can't even say "Hello.

I think the crucial thing in the writing career is to find what you want to do and how you fit in. What somebody else does is of no concern whatever except as an interesting variation.

You don't fight to protect warships or old men. Like the book says, you fight to save your civilization. And so often it seems that civilization is composed mainly of the things women and children want.

Contrary to what people think, I slave over my books.