The best grammarian still can't write a verse.

Pain is always a fanged serpent, but to the fearful it has a hundred heads.

The ancient Hebrews did not write the name of God. I often wish the Christians would follow suit, as never was a word more misused in writing and speaking than the name of the Lord.

Grammarians make no new thoughts, but thoughts make new grammar.

Dictators long ago found that it is easier to unite people in common hatred than in common love.

The Hebrews have no name for Him, the Moslems have a hundred. Both suggest the same thing, that there are concepts as well as emotions that can be communicated only allegorically.

It's not right for one friend to do all the giving and the other to do all the taking: that's not read friendship.

What else is there to do?

Your mother betrayed my father as well as her Clan. You have no right to be a medicine cat. No right to even live among the Clans. I'll never forgive you for what you've done! Never!

Heiresses are never jilted.

How do you feel about women's rights? I like either side of them.

Politicians do nothing but ask of us, during every expiration of a legal statute, "a gesture of trust." But here trust is not enough; what's needed is an act of faith.

I think when there's enough will and aggression, there's no shortage of talent either.

I am an atheist (or at best a Unitarian who winds up in church quite a lot).

I think I was about 16 when I first figured I wanted to be an actor. I wanted to be a fighter pilot before that, but then I thought I don't want to kill people so that ruled that out.

People ask what was the first piece of music I wrote. There was no first piece.