I do not believe in inspiration, but I must have a title in order to work, otherwise I am lost

A good smoker, like a good lover, always takes his time with a cigar.

I was never a true journalist, I was a movie critic.

I think writers rush in where everybody is very frightened to tread

I think that I've tried many times to get Cuba in my writings, especially Havana, which was once a great and fascinating city.

When I write, the first blank page, or any blank page, means nothing to me. What means something is a page that has been filled with words.

Cigars must be smoked one at a time, peaceably, with all the leisure in the world. Cigarettes are of the instant, Cigars are for eternity.

I was an avid radio fan when I was a boy, as well as a great lover of comic strips

So I do not consider myself a chronicler of my fatherland or even a chronicler of Havana

What I do believe is that there is always a relationship between writing and reading, a constant interplay between the writer on the one hand and the reader on the other

Writing for me, even what you call serious writing, is play.

Books aren't just booksthey're a completely different worldin the palm of your hands

Yelling at living things does tend to kill the spirit in them. Sticks and stones may break our bones, but words will break our hearts...

There are things that will not have themselves buried and put out of sight, as though they had never been.

A false tale often betrays itself.

I know what I'm thinking bout, I think. Nothing. And as much of it as I can.

The money-getter who pleads his love of work has a lame defense, for love of work at money-getting is a lower taste than love of money.

I did. I did see Bigfoot when I was a kid and I still believe it to this day. I saw a big furry man outside my window. It's not funny! It was real.

You are the true master of death, because the true master does not seek to run away from Death.

Whatever your goal in life, unless you develop a great urgency, what could be near will be far away.

I'm writing a film. With our access to these powerful media, we're going to take over, because it's really disgusting what is put out there now to be consumed.