I have no wisdom and nothing useful to tell you - I only mentioned this because it came into my head.
Russell HobanWhen you suffer an attack of nerves you're being attacked by the nervous system. What chance has a man got against a system?.
Russell HobanI'll never retire. They'll have to take my computer out of my cold, dead hands. I'm addicted to writing. I feel physically unwell if I'm not doing it.
Russell HobanWhat a weird thing smoking is and I can't stop it. I feel cosy, have a sense of well-being when I'm smoking, poisoning myself, killing myself slowly. Not so slowly maybe. I have all kinds of pains I don't want to know about and I know that's what they're from. But when I don't smoke I scarcely feel as if I'm living. I don't feel as if I'm living unless I'm killing myself.
Russell Hoban