Most troubles are unnecessary. We have Nature beaten; we can make her grow wheat; we can keep warm when she sends blizzards. So we raise the devil just for pleasure--wars, politics, race-hatreds, labor-disputes.

Writers have a rare power not given to anyone else: we can bore people long after we are dead.

Pugnacity is a form of courage, but a very bad form.

It is one of the major tragedies that nothing is more discomforting than the hearty affection of the Old Friends who never were friends.

People read fiction for emotion-not information

When fascism comes to the United States it will be wrapped in the American flag and will claim the name of 100-percent Americanism

The Maker of the universe with stars a hundred thousand light-years apart was interested, furious, and very personal about it if a small boy played baseball on Sunday afternoon.