A story has to be a good date, because the reader can stop at any time. Remember, readers are selfish and have no compulsion to be decent about anything.

Maturity is a bitter disappointment for which no remedy exists, unless laughter could be said to remedy anything.

In the era of big brains, life stories could end up any which way. Look at mine.

I wish we had all been born birds instead.

Much of the conversation in the country consisted of lines from television shows, both past and present.

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.

Perhaps, when we remember wars, we should take off our clothes and paint ourselves blue and go on all fours all day long and grunt like pigs. That would surely be more appropriate than noble oratory and shows of flags and well-oiled guns.