Never play cards with a man named Doc, and never eat at a place called Mom's.

Much as I like owning a Rolls-Royce, I could do without it. What I could not do without is a typewriter, a supply of yellow second sheets and the time to put them to good use.

An artist is his own fault.

Becoming the reader is the essence of becoming a writer.

In every marriage the wife has to keep her mouth shut about at least one small thing her husband does that disgusts her.

But whats the use of being old if you cant be dumb?

Illinois is a state of suspended animation and the people live in hibernation from Oct. to whenever it ever gets warmer.

Hot lead can be almost as effective coming from a linotype as from a firearm.

The trouble is people leave too much to luck. They get married and then trust to luck. They should be sure in the first place.

George Gershwin died on July 11, 1937, but I don’t have to believe it if I don’t want to.

Socially, I never belonged to any class, rich or poor. To the rich I was poor, and to the poor I was poor pretending to be like the rich.

One has to learn contentment, forgiveness, and purpose on her own before the universe allows her to share her happiness with another soul.

Society establishment minus laws of God equals chaos and destruction

A wise man knows everything a shrewd one everybody.

I remain optimistic that ultimately free speech and a free press where individuals have access to the dialogue will have a self-correcting quality.

Maybe the way we have learned to look has changed in the last 25 years, and the exotic is much more acceptable. There are many artists now, younger artists, who work out of the exotic

And whenever you feel that essence in another, you also feel it in yourself.

Reading something from beginning to end. That is reading with love.

Art is sort of an experimental station in which one tries out living.

To free the voice is to free the person.

You don't have to know the whole language to use it usefully, you can do baby talk, you can do grown up talk, you can cuss in it, you can write poetry, you can be a playwright, is sort of the idea.