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.

When I was very young and the urge to be someplace was on me, I was assured by mature people that maturity would cure this itch.

It would be good to live in a perpetual state of leave-taking, never to go nor to stay, but to remain suspended in that golden emotion of love and longing; to be loved without satiety.

There are no ugly questions except those clothed in condescension.

All Americans believe that they are born fishermen. For a man to admit a distaste for fishing would be like denouncing mother-love or hating moonlight.

The quality of owning freezes you forever in "I," and cuts you off forever from the "we.

Three hours of writing require twenty hours of preparation. Luckily I have learned to dream about the work, which saves me some working time.