[T]he House of Maidens was for little girls whose whole duty in life was to spill things, break things, and forget things . . . until they had spilled, broken, and forgotten everything they could, and thus made room in their lives for a little wisdom.

There's no "magic secret"; writing is like everything else; ten percent inspiration or talent, and ninety percent hard work. Persistence; keeping at it till you get there. As Agnes de Mille said, it means working every day—bored, tired, weary, or with a fever of a hundred and two.

There are ignorant priests and ignorant people, who are all too ready to cry sorcery if a woman is only a little wiser than they are!

Never name the well from which you will not drink.

Some knowledge and some song and some beauty must be kept for those days before the world again plunges into darkness.

One of the earliest lessons I learned was not to read my reviews. Weigh them.

What wise God would consign a man to Hell for ignorance, instead of teaching him better in the afterlife?