The past, with its pleasures, its rewards, its foolishness, its punishments, is there for each of us forever, and it should be.

some people are democrats by choice, and some by necessity.

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

Fear comes with middle age.

It is not good to see people who have been pretending strength all their lives lose it even for a minute.

I am suspicious of guilt in myself and in other people; it is usually a way of not thinking, or of announcing one's own fine sensibilities the better to be rid of them fast.

The only good thing about [aging] is you're not dead.