She asked if we were calm enough for her to take off the cuffs, and McMurphy nodded. He had slumped over with his head hung and his elbows between his knees and looked completely exhausted--it hadn't occurred to me that it was just as hard for him to stand straight as it was for me.

To hell with facts! We need stories.

I'd take a look at my own self in the mirror and wonder how it was possible that anybody could manage such an enormous thing as being what he was.

The job of the writer is to kiss no ass, no matter how big and holy and white and tempting and powerful.

I've enjoyed being a famous writer-except that every once in a while you have to write something.

The Grateful Dead are our religion. This is a religion that doesn't pay homage to the God that all the other religions pay homage to.

I felt like you can write forever, but you have a short time to raise a family. And I think a family is a lot more important than writing.