A sensational event was changing from the brown suit to the gray the contents of his pockets. He was earnest about these objects. They were of eternal importance, like baseball or the Republican Party.

Don't be a writer. Writing is an escape from something. You be a scientist.

Why is it that traveling Americans are always so dreadful?

Every compulsion is put upon writers to become safe, polite, obedient, and sterile.

Good Lord, I don't know what 'rights' a man has! And I don't know the solution of boredom. If I did, I'd be the one philosopher that had the cure for living. But I do know that about ten times as many people find their lives dull, and unnecessarily dull, as ever admit it; and I do believe that if we busted out and admitted it sometimes, instead of being nice and patient and loyal for sixty years, and then nice and patient and dead for the rest of eternity, why, maybe, possibly, we might make life more fun.

She was snatched back from a dream of far countries, and found herself on Main Street.

His name was George F. Babbitt, and . . . he was nimble in the calling of selling houses for more than people could afford to pay.