There was no manifestation of contemporary culture that did not indicate to my grandmother how steadfast was the nation's decline, how merciless our mental and moral deterioration, how swiftly all-embracing our final decadence. I never saw her read a book again; but she referred to books often - as if they were shrines and cathedrals of learning that television had plundered and then abandoned.

If you feel strongly about people having abortions, don't have one. But we are a country - USA - that likes to be punitive. We want to restrict. It is a kind of religious fervor run amuck.

Homer and Candy passed by the empty and brightly lit dispensary; they peeked into Nurse Angela's empty office. Homer knew better than to peek into the delivery room when the light was on. From the dormitory, they could hear Dr. Larch's reading voice. Although Candy held tightly to his hand, Homer was inclined to hurry - in order not to miss the bedtime story.

Adolescence-is it the first time in life we discover that we have something terrible to hide from those who love us?

If you are lucky enough to find a way of life you love, you have to find the courage to live it.

Newspapers are even worse for me than ice cream; headlines, and the big issues that generate the headlines, are pure fat.

The way you define yourself as a writer is that you write every time you have a free minute. If you didn't behave that way you would never do anything.