Great writers are not those who tell us we shouldn’t play with fire, but those who make our fingers burn.

The war against Vietnam is only the ghastliest manifestation of what I'd call imperial provincialism, which afflicts America's whole culture-aware only of its own history, insensible to everything which isn't part of the local atmosphere.

The only virtue a character needs to possess between hardcovers, even if he bears a real person's name, is vitality: if he comes to life in our imaginations, he passes the test.

Consistency is a virtue for trains: what we want from a philosopher is insights, whether he comes by them consistently or not.

Strange as it may seem, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and formal education positively fortifies it.

Great writers are not those who tell us we shouldn’t play with fire, but those who make our fingers burn.

When you close your eyes to tragedy, you close your eyes to greatness.