Scholarship was one thing, drudgery another. I very soon concluded that nothing would induce me to read, let alone make notes on, hundreds and hundreds of very, very, very boring books.

... life is short and the world is wide

Since life is short and the world is wide, the sooner you start exploring it, the better.

...dusk is the time when men whisper of matters about which they remain silent in the full light of the sun.

Nobody minded what you did in bed or what you said about God, a very civilized attitude in 1948.

I loved the Army as an institution and loathed every single thing it required me to do.

Art for art's sake, money for God's sake.

Gentlemen can now only behave as such, or be tolerated as such, in circumstances that are manifestly contrived or unreal.

Christ asked for everything he got.

I had no tears to shed nor a prayer for the deceased... There is no hope for the hopeless.

The irony of life is like a brothel without prostitutes--but don't you worry, prostitutes don't need of a brothel, to exercise their profession.

But sometimes you don’t know what you’re looking for until it’s already knocked you flat on your back.

Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed.

I'm not interested in being one of those comedians who wants to look good and be this 'cool' funny person. I don't care how weird or ugly I look.

Never wound a snake; kill it.

My husband had an education. He had a degree in Literature. I married into a camp of literary types.

In America, we're kind of lazy. But in New York, it's one of those places where you see the majority of people hustling. If you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

I had rather munch a crust of brown bread and an onion in a corner, without any more ado, or ceremony, than feed upon turkey at another man's table.

Grace is within you. If it were external, it would be useless.