A letter is paradoxically the most revealing and the most deceptive of confessional revelations. We all have our inconsistencies, prejudices, irrationalities which, although strongly felt at the time, may be transitory. A letter captures the mood of the moment. The transitory becomes immutably fixed, part of the evidence for the prosecution or the defence.

Charm is always genuine; it may be superficial but it isn't false.

Wars may be fought by decent men, but they're not won by them.

Open your mind to new experiences, particularly to the study of other ­people. Nothing that happens to a writer – however happy, however tragic – is ever wasted.

however long we have to live, there are never enough springs.

Metaphysical speculation is about as pointless as a discussion on the meaning of one's lungs. They're for breathing.

When I heard, Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall, I thought, Did he fall or was he pushed?