Luckily, I remembered something Malcolm Cowley had taught us at Stanford - perhaps the most important lesson a writing class (not a writer, understand, but a class) can ever learn. 'Be gentle with one another's efforts,' he often admonished us. 'Be kind and considerate with your criticism. Always remember that it's just as hard to write a bad book as it is to write a good book.'

But, gee," the other nurse says, "what on earth would MAKE a man want to do something like disrupt the ward for, Miss Ratched? What possible motive...?""You seem to forget, MISS Flinn, that this is an institution for the insane.

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

The best of all possible cages.' Ben stepped back to regard the job with a sad smile. 'What more can one ask?

I've been to too many Dead concerts. There've been smokin' holes where my memory used to be.

He's the sort of guy that gets a laugh out of people.

There's something about taking a plow and breaking new ground. It gives you energy.