In writing, habit seems to be a much stronger force than either willpower or inspiration.

Americans are much more American than they are Northerners, Southerners, Westerners, or Easterners ... California Chinese, Boston Irish, Wisconsin German, yes, Alabama Negroes, have more in common than they have apart ... The American identity is an exact and provable thing.

Only mediocrity escapes criticism.

Every man in a bank hates what the bank does and yet the bank does it.

If you understand each other you will be kind to each other.

In utter loneliness a writer tries to explain the inexplicable.

A kind of light spread out from her. And everything changed color. And the world opened out. And a day was good to awaken to. And there were no limits to anything. And the people of the world were good and handsome. And I was not afraid any more.