An unjust punishment is never forgotten.

Duty is what no-one else will do at the moment.

I believe that people should write biographies only about people they love, or understand, or both. Novels, on the other hand, are often better if they're about people the writer doesn't like very much.

A good book is the precious life-blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life, and as such it must surely be a necessary commodity.

It's very good for an idea to be commonplace. The important thing is that a new idea should develop out of what is already there so that it soon becomes an old acquaintance. Old acquaintances aren't by any means always welcome, but at least one can't be mistaken as to who or what they are.

It is interesting to note that everyone has a different take on the world, a different opinion, and given the same inputs have completely different outputs.

On the whole, I think you should write biographies of those you admire and respect, and novels about human beings who you think are sadly mistaken.