I really am a pessimist. I've always felt that fascism is a more natural governmental condition than democracy. Democracy is a grace. It's something essentially splendid because it's not at all routine or automatic. Fascism goes back to our infancy and childhood, where we were always told how to live. We were told, Yes, you may do this; no, you may not do that. So the secret of fascism is that it has this appeal to people whose later lives are not satisfactory.

You can't be a serious writer of fiction unless you believe the story you are telling.

I usually need a can of beer to prime me.

Culture is worth a little risk.

Prevarication, like honesty, is reflexive, and soon becomes a sturdy habit, as reliable as truth.

The great power in America is the corporations - we`re a corporate country. We`re run by a CEO and the stockholders have very little to say on how the corporation is run. Fine, the board of directors run it and the stockholders can just be disgruntled, but who gives a damn?

The mark of mediocrity is to look for precedent.