Socialism" is no more an evil word than "Christianity." Socialism no more prescribed Joseph Stalin and his secret police and shuttered churches than Christianity prescribed the Spanish Inquisition. Christianity and socialism alike, in fact, prescribe a society dedicated to the proposition that all men, women, and children are created equal and shall not starve.

I wasn't aware of Ku Klux Klan as I was aware of the widespread assumption that African-Americans were dumber than white people. I think my father believed that. I think everybody white did.

I can think of no more stirring symbol of man's humanity to man than a fire engine.

If what Billy Pilgrim learned from the Tralfamadorians is true, that we will all live forever, no matter how dead we may sometimes seem to be, I am not overjoyed. Still--if I am going to spend eternity visiting this moment and that, I'm grateful that so many of those moments are nice.

Extenuating circumstance to be mentioned on Judgment Day: We never asked to be born in the first place.

Seems like the only kind of job an American can get these days is committing suicide in some way.

There were creative-writin g teachers long before there were creative-writin g courses, and they were called and continue to be called editors.