When a man is attacked in print, it's usually for saying what he says; when a woman is attacked in print, it's often for being who she is.

...we must be a beacon of hope, because if you tell people there's nothing they can do, they will do worse than nothing.

The characters [of The Tempest] have always been favorites of mine. It is one of his meditations on art - what it does.

Then sail, my fine lady, on the billowing wave - The water below is as dark as the grave, And maybe you'll sink in your little blue boat - It's hope, and hope only, that keeps us afloat

Canadians and Americans may look alike, but the contents of their heads are quite different. Americans experience themselves, individually, as small toads in the biggest and most powerful puddle in the world. Their sense of power comes from identifying with the puddle. Canadians as individuals may have more power within the puddle, since there are fewer toads in it; it's the puddle that's seen as powerless.

In Heaven, there are no debts - all have been paid, one way or another - but in Hell there's nothing but debts, and a great deal of payment is exacted, though you can't ever get all paid up. You have to pay, and pay, and keep on paying. So Hell is like an infernal maxed-out credit card that multiplies the charges endlessly.

I would rather dance as a ballerina, though faultily, than as a flawless clown.