The writer can grow as a person or he can shrink. ... His curiosity, his reaction to life must not diminish. The fatal thing is to shrink, to be interested in less, sympathetic to less, desiccating to the point where life itself loses its flavor, and oneโs passion for human understanding changes to weariness and distaste.
Norman MailerIf only gravity were working, the path would be symmetrical, it is the wind resistance that produces the tragic curve.
Norman MailerGreat hope has no real footing unless one is willing to face into the doom that may also be on the way. p.207
Norman MailerThe condition that is most disagreeable in your life becomes the most useful one. You know, I feel the same way about the U.S. Army. It was absolutely the worst experience of my life, and it was probably the single most valuable experience.
Norman Mailer