Henry James was one of the nicest old ladies I ever met.

I only write when I feel the inspiration. Fortunately, inspiration strikes at 10:00 o'clock every day.

A man is the sum of his misfortunes. One day you'd think misfortune would get tired but then time is your misfortune

This does not matter. This is not anything yet. It all depends on what you do with it, afterward.

No man can write who is not first a humanitarian

Where the shadow of the bridge fell I could see down for a long way, but not as far as the bottom. When you leave a leaf in water a long time after awhile the tissue will be gone and the delicate fibres waving slow as the motion of sleep. They don't touch one another, no matter how knotted up they once were, no matter how close they lay once to the bones.

'I never feel the need to discuss my work with anyone. No, I am too busy writing it. It has got to please me and if it does I don't need to talk about it. If it doesn't please me, talking about it won't improve it, since the only thing to improve it is to work on it some more. I am not a literary man but only a writer. I don't get any pleasure from talking shop.