I stood face to face with the moon and the ocean and the future that spread out with all its bewildering immensity before me.

Without music, life is a journey through a desert.

It's impossible to explain to a Yankee what 'tacky' is. They simply have no word for it up north, but my God, do they ever need one.

I was born and raised on a Carolina sea island and I carried the sunshine of the low-country, inked in dark gold, on my back and shoulders.

I’ve never had anyone’s approval, so I’ve learned to live without it.

The most powerful words in English are, 'Tell me a story.'

Here is all I ask of a book- give me everything. Everything, and don't leave out a single word.

Good writing ... involves the agony of turning profoundly difficult thoughts into lucid form, then forcing them into the tight-fitting uniform of language, making them visible and clear.

There is no teacher more discriminating or transforming than loss.

The great teachers fill you up with hope and shower you with a thousand reasons to embrace all aspects of life.

My soul found ease and rest in the companionship of books.

The “result” of micromanagement is perhaps tangible in the short run, but more often causes damage for the long term.

For their holidays: the rich go see the world

I strongly believe in after life because life down here is too costly.

Sometimes you have to separate yourself from the ones you love for a season, so God can reveal things to you by His spirit.

Really, the novelist has the best casting since he doesn't have to cope with the actors and all the rest. -Alfred Hitchcock

Every person has the choice between Good and Evil. Choose Good, and stand against those who would choose Evil.

Rock'n'roll is nothing but Boogie Woogie with stuff on top of it. And if you're black, they name it rhythm'n'blues, and if you're white, they name it rock'n'roll. So, I don't give a... You know.

The best way to avoid a bad action is by doing a good one, for there is no difficulty in the world like that of trying to do nothing.

When I came back I had to realize that IC was not in a very good shape - all the much money that we had because of the huge Ideal success, was gone. I was very upset.

A worker without genius is better than a genius who won't work.