At bottom, I mean profoundly at bottom, the FBI has nothing to do with Communism, it has nothing to do with catching criminals, it has nothing to do with the Mafia, the syndicate, it has nothing to do with trust-busting, it has nothing to do with interstate commerce, it has nothing to do with anything but serving as a church for the mediocre. A high church for the true mediocre.

The novelist ... must live in paranoia and seek to be one with the world; he must be terrified of experience and hungry for it; he must think himself nothing and believe he is superior to all.

You never do find out what makes you tick, and after a while it's unimportant.

I guess all that's left is to love the fire.

Somewhere, something incredible happened in history - the wrong guys won.

Culture is worth a little risk.

With the pride of the artist, you must blow against the walls of every power that exists the small trumpet of your defiance.