Great self-destruction follows upon unfounded fear.

True understanding is the spur of genius

I never knew anybody . . . who found life simple. I think a life or a time looks simple when you leave out the details.

A story rises from the springs of creation, from the pure will to be; it tells itself; I takes its own course, finds its own way, its own words; and the writer's job is to be its medium.

At the pit's bottom is no anger.

I certainly wasn't happy. Happiness has to do with reason, and only reason earns it. What I was given was the thing you can't earn, and can't keep, and often don't even recognize at the time; I mean joy.

There are two kinds of knowledge, local and universal.