A good stylist should have narcissistic enjoyment as he works. He must be able to objectivize his work to such an extent that he catches himself feeling envious and has to jog his memory to find that he is himself the creator. In short, he must display that highest degree of objectivity which the world calls vanity.

I have decided many a stylistic problem first by my head, then by heads or tails.

I am already so popular that anyone who vilifies me becomes more popular than I am.

Journalist: a person without any ideas but with an ability to express them; a writer whose skill is improved by a deadline: the more time he has, the worse he writes.

I had a terrible vision: I saw an encyclopedia walk up to a polymath and open him up.

The extraordinary ability of a woman to forget is not the same as the talent of a lady not to be able to remember.

A good writer does not receive anywhere near the number of poison-pen letters that is commonly assumed. Among a hundred jackassesthere are not ten who will admit to being jackasses, and at most one who will put it in writing.