Liberation and equal-rights issues notwithstanding, it was a man's job to make a woman feel cherished and respected.

Every novel begins with the speculative question, What if "X" happened? That's how you start.

Every person you meet - and everything you do in life - is an opportunity to learn something.

Even true believers had consciences, Too bad.

Anti-Catholicism is the last respectable prejudice. You can't hate black people anymore, of course, and you can't hate homosexuals anymore, but you can hate all the Catholics you want.

"Literature" is written material that, 100 years after the death of the author, is forced upon high school students.

If you want to kick the tiger in his ass you'd better have a plan for dealing with his teeth