On staring out at a gloomy day: First you must realize that it is the day that is gloomy, not you. If you want to be gloomy, too, that's all right, but it's not mandatory.

Books were to my family's house like beds and stoves, the most basic items, necessary for survival

Allocate your resources wisely for all men have been endowed with abilities that are more than sufficient to accomplish even the greatest of their dreams.

The most exciting thing I aspire to do is to write something new that I know is going to work, or perform something that I know is going to make people laugh.

I've gotten literally thousands of contacts from people across the country - and the most poignant ones being elderly people - who said I had given up on America and I was just waiting to die.

My first instrument was a little blue ukele.

I begin with human psychology and then see what we can say about ethics.

I had no desire to be in the movies. All my training had been in the theater, thank God.

I've been tremendously moved by a bunch of odd books. Ross McDonald is very important to me. I love the Lew Archer books.

Realization consists of getting rid of the false idea that one is not realized.

Even hostile parodies admit from the start that the target has a distinct voice.