My father, born in Colorado, met my mother, born in Switzerland, when he went into the finance company where she worked and asked for a loan.

I have a million nightingales on the branches of my heart singing freedom.

Marriage wrecks any decent relationship.

I never took the bus. Never. Walking meant you were eccentric or pious or a loser - riding the bus meant you were insane or masochistic and worse than a loser.

The broken spine of the book shows the webbing of binder's string, and my fingers have worn white spots in the cover.

I have more than 100 legal pads filled with handwriting. Eight novels, two books for children, countless stories and essays.

step by step

The conversation limped along this line of thought much like a zombie: lifeless and mindless and making a jelly of whatever healthy brains were within its reach.

Make sure you visualize what you really want, not what someone else wants for you.

Whenever your kids are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His kids.

I think everyone's voice is unique. Although sometimes when you listen to the radio, it makes you wonder.

They were like the man with the dungeon stone and gloom, rising from the underground, the sordid hipsters of America, a new beat generation that I was slowly joining.

I don't want my wrinkles taken away - I don't want to look like everyone else.

I know that I will go to my grave as Professor Sprout, whatever else I’ve done.

What my job is, is to get on with getting the process of democratic politics, back on the road, entrenching the peace settlement, and I ask you to judge me on my record.

A lot of things you see as a child remain with you you spend a lot of your life trying to recapture the experience.