I could appear in this million-word book [Larry Kramer] are working on. Nobody would even notice me.

When one person mentors, two lives are changed.

[Calvin Trilllin] is not writing about things that I can criticize. I can call these other people out for what I think they are not doing. There's a big difference.

When I graduated [from Yale], I went back to Larry [Kramer]. But when I go to Yale reunions, there are still people who call me David.

Calvin [Trillin] was much more of a mover and a shaker. That's all I'm saying. I was a "weenie." That was another term back then.

That's why I tried to kill myself when I was a student [in Yale]. I thought I was the only one there.

I'm sorry to keep focusing on the New Yorker, but everybody who was growing up when Calvin [Trillin] and I were growing up wanted to be published in the New Yorker.

I talked to [Larry] Kramer a little bit about it while I was writing 'Remembering Denny' . Denny was one of those people who took a long time to come out.

"Shoe" just meant you were a big jock on campus no matter what field you were in.

[Calvin Trillin] was very "shoe," which means he was a big jock, a big deal.

One thing I learned in sobriety is to stop being judgmental, to always be discerning. When I drive, that will be my bumper sticker.

And i chose life and love and happiness and pain...

Confess your sins. God will cleanse you of all the wrongs done.

Determination is a treasure of positive energy and secret of success.

Why does it seem that the church is more interested in people involvement rather than people engagement.

Know this: even if you’re like us and still doddering around above ground, someone out there from your past is probably pretty sure that you’re dead by now. (p.125 )

If envy is red and doubt is black then happiness is brown. I looked from the little brown stone to the tiny brown freckle to her huge brown eyes.

Crime fiction is the fiction of social history. Societies get the crimes they deserve.

A man would rather say evil of himself than say nothing.

I play really bad punk rock guitar. Age-old friends; it's just great hanging out with your mates, causing havoc.

California is the only state in the union where you can fall asleep under a rose bush in full bloom and freeze to death.