If you invent two or three people and turn them loose in your manuscript, something is bound to happen to them -- you can't help it; and then it will take you the rest of the book to get them out of the natural consequences of that occurrence, and so first thing you know, there's your book all finished up and never cost you an idea.

The insincerity of man-all men are liars, partial or hiders of facts, half tellers of truths, shirks, moral sneaks. When a merely honest man appears he is a comet-his fame is eternal-needs no genius, no talent-mere honesty

Love is not a product of reasonings and statistics. It just comes-none knows whence-and cannot explain itself.

Do not complain about growing old. It is a privilege denied to many.

A joke, even if it be a lame one, is nowhere so keenly relished or quickly applauded as in a murder trial.

There's a good spot tucked away somewhere in everybody. You'll be a long time finding it, sometimes.

I do not want Michael Angelo for breakfast-but for luncheon-for dinner- for tea-for supper-for between meals.