Did-a-chick? Dum-a-chum? Dad-a-cham? Ded-a-chek?

The only [working] ritual is making tea. I use the loose leaves and drink it by the gallon.

Want to know the best thing about teaching? Seeing that moment when a kid discovers his or her gift. There's no feeling on earth like it.

In the stutter-flashes of light, the clouds look like huge transparent brains filled with bad thoughts.

Do you need someone to make you a paper badge with the word WRITER on it before you can believe you are one? God I hope not.

There are, occasionally, writers who are able to combine both story and style. They are, of course, the best. You get a spectacular view and you also get to look at it from the backseat of a chauffeur-driven Cadillac. In the field of fantasy, those writers able to combine story-as-narration with story-as-style are even rarer. But there are a few...the late Theodore Sturgeon, the early Ray Bradbury...and Richard Christian Matheson. A brilliant chip off the old block.

How does it happen that a writer who's not even very good - and I can say that, I've read four or five of his books - gets to be in charge of the world's destiny? Or of the entire universe's?" If he's not very good, why didn't you stop at one?" Mrs. Tassenbaum smiled. "Touché. He is readable, I'll give him that - tells a good story.