I have been a writer since 1949. I am self-taught. I have no theories about writing that might help others. When I write, I simply become what I seemingly must become. I am six feet two and weigh nearly two hundred pounds and am badly coordinated, except when I swim. All that borrowed meat does the writing. In the water I am beautiful.

Please — a little less love, and a little more common decency.

Just in the nick of time they realized that it was their own habitat they were wrecking -- that they weren't merely visitors.

I don't know what anybody else in the world would want to thank America for, but man, it [jazz] works. What I like about it - and what public health people ought to like about it - it's safe sex.

The Circle Theatre, black people had to sit in the balcony. Any theater with a balcony, black people had to sit up there. Black people couldn't check into any hotel except their own. And black people couldn't eat anywhere except in their own restaurants.

What do men want? They want a lot of pals, and they wish that people wouldn't get so mad at them.

You can't help it but you were born without a heart. At least you tried to believe what the people with hearts believed — so you were a good man just the same.