Music is, to me, proof of the existence of God.

There isn’t any particular relationship between the messages, except that the author has chosen them carefully, so that, when seen all at once, they produce an image of life that is beautiful and surprising and deep. There is no beginning, no middle, no end, no suspense, no moral, no causes, no effects. What we love in our books are the depths of many marvelous moments seen all at one time.

One of [ways being lucky] was to go to school during the Great Depression because teaching became a plum job.

I don't know what's going on, and I'm probably not smart enough to understand if somebody was to explain it to me. All I know is we're being tested somehow, by somebody or some thing a whole lot smarter than us, and all I can do is be friendly and keep calm and try and have a nice time till it's over.

I've got news for Mr. Santayana: we're doomed to repeat the past no matter what. That's what it is to be alive.

And I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.

His response was to fight it with the only weapons at hand—passive resistance and open displays of contempt.