The social or economic structure of the ideal state is of little concern to me. My desires are modest. Portraits of the head of the government should not exceed a postage stamp in size. No torture and no executions. No music, except coming through earphones, or played in theaters. Freedom of speech, freedom of thought, freedom of art.

Those Eggheadsareterrible Philistines. A realgood head is not oval but round.

Only talent interests me in paintings and books. Not general ideas, but the individual contribution.

It is strange that the tactile sense, which is so infinitely less precious to men than sight, becomes at critical moments our main, if not only, handle to reality.

Use unlikely materials. Who would choose Pnin as hero, but how did we live before Pnin?

Mind you, sometimes the angels smoke, hiding it with their sleeves, and when the archangel comes, they throw the cigarettes away: that’s when you get shooting stars.

I still dwelled deep in my elected paradise--a paradise whose skies were the color of hell-flames--but still a paradise.