If you believe, as the Greeks did, that man is at the mercy of the gods, then you write tragedy. The end is inevitable from the beginning. But if you believe that man can solve his own problems and is at nobody's mercy, then you will probably write melodrama.

Since when do you have to agree with people to defend them from injustice?

But success and failure are not true opposites, and they're not even in the same class. I mean, they're not even a couch and a chair.

My mother was dead for five years before I knew that I had loved her very much.

as one grows older, one realizes how little one knows about any relationship, or even about oneself.

Decision by democratic majority vote is a fine form of government, but it's a stinking way to create.

If I had to give young writers advice, I would say don't listen to writers talking about writing or themselves.