The beginning of genius is being scared shitless.

I hadn't found out yet that mankind consists of two very different races, the rich and the poor. It took me ... and plenty of other people . . . twenty years and the war to learn to stick to my class and ask the price of things before touching them, let alone setting my heart on them.

When you stay too long in the same place, things and people go to pot on you, they rot and start stinking for your special benefit.

Philosophizing is simply one way of being afraid, a cowardly pretense that doesn't get you anywhere.

Lots of men are like that, their artistic leanings never go beyond a weakness for shapely thighs.

History doesn't pass the dishes again.

In my room I'd barely closed my eyes when the blonde from the movie house came along and sang her whole song of sorrow just for me. I helped her put me to sleep, so to speak, and succeeded pretty well... I wasn't entirely alone... It's not possible to sleep alone.