Anonymous sources are a practice of American journalism in the 20th and 21st century, a relatively recent practice. The literary tradition of anonymity goes back to the Bible.

Novel writing should never be confused with journalism. Unfortunately, in the case of Primary Colors, a fair number of journalists confused.

Cynicism is what passes for insight among the mediocre.

Affirmative action was always racial justice on the cheap.

Diversity has been written into the DNA of American life; any institution that lacks a rainbow array has come to seem diminished, if not diseased.

Dictating to dictators doesn't work; they are congenitally delusional about their own indispensability.

Bush promised a foreign policy of humility and a domestic policy of compassion. He has given us a foreign policy of arrogance and a domestic policy that is cynical, myopic and cruel.

I've been described as a grizzled political veteran.

You can't get all of your news from Jon Stewart, especially since it's a comedy show.

We journalists are never so idiotic as when we analyze things that we shouldn't be analyzing.

For those of us who consider ourselves political moderates, life is a dispiriting slog, a sorry mix of rectitude and ineptitude.

As we expand our knowledge of good books, we shrink the circle of men whose company we appreciate.

A writer who writes more than he reads is an amateur.

If the chemistry between me and the artist is good, then that's half the battle.

Another characteristic of mathematical thought is that it can have no success where it cannot generalize.

I did what all good Iriah dads do when faced with a worthy adversary..I said Ask your mother!!

‎'All we need is a book,' roared Leslie; 'don't panic, hit 'em with a book.

The fact that I fell into this seemed more like a stroke of good fortune than hard work. Not to say that I didn't work hard, but it wasn't like, "I'm going to be a musician."

I wonder if, as you get older, you stop missing people so fiercely. Maybe growing up is just focusing on what you've got, instead of what you don't.

Silence is like a flame, you see?

[Addiction's] not about placating the bad dog - it's about feeding the good dog. You still have to feed the bad dog, but only enough so that the ASPCA doesn't bring you up on charges.