She seemed to know, to accept, to welcome her position, the citadel of the family, the strong place that could not be taken. And since old Tom and the children could not know hurt or fear unless she acknowledged hurt or fear, she had practiced denying them in herself. And since, when a joyful thing happened, they looked to see whether joy was on her, it was her habit to build laughter out of inadequate materials....She seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall.

Trips to fairly unknown regions should be made twice; once to make mistakes and once to correct them.

Wherever there's a cop beatin' up a guy, I'll be there.

I have said that Texas is a state of mind, but I think it is more than that. It is a mystique closely approximating a religion.

And, of course, people are interested only in themselves. If a story is not about the hearer he will not listen.

Some men ease themselves like setting hens into the nest of death.

for how can you remember the feel of pleasure or pain or choking emotion? You can remember only that you had them.