Human life itself may be almost pure chaos, but the work of the artist is to take these handfuls of confusion and disparate things, things that seem to be irreconcilable, and put them together in a frame to give them some kind of shape and meaning.

One of the marks of a gift is to have the courage of it.

Love must be learned again and again... Hate needs no instruction, but waits only to be provoked.

Your mind outwears all sorts of things you may set your heart upon; you can enjoy it when all other things are taken away.

Civilization, let me tell you what it is. First the soldier, then the merchant, then the priest, then the lawyer. The merchant hires the soldier and priest to conquer the country for him. First the soldier, he is a murderer; then the priest, he is a liar; then the merchant, he is a thief; and they all bring in the lawyer to make their laws and defend their deeds, and there you have your civilization!

What we need now is endless courage.

who wants to read about success? It is the early struggle which makes a good story.