Symbols and emblems were everywhere. Buildings and pictures were designed to be read like books. Everything stood for something else; if you had the right dictionary, you could read Nature itself. It was hardly surprising to find philosophers using the symbolism of their time to interpret knowledge that came from a mysterious source.

I am a strong believer in the tyranny, the dictatorship, the absolute authority of the writer.

If there is a war to be fought, we don’t consider cost one of the factors in deciding whether or not to fight.

One curious thing about growing up is that you don't only move forward in time; you move backwards as well, as pieces of your parents' and grandparents' lives come to you.

Tell him, we are not devils but we have friends who are.

Her last conscious thought was disgust at life; her senses had lied to her. The world was not made of energy and delight but of foulness, betrayal, and lassitude. Living was hateful, and death was no better, and from end to end of the universe this was the first and last and only truth.

Men and women are moved by tides much fiercer than you can imagine, and they sweep us all up into the current.