We are governed not by armies but by ideas.

We are governed not by armies, but by ideas.

We are not governed by armies or police, but by ideas.

The world is full of tragedy; and sympathy, a little common sympathy, can do so much to soften the worst of grief. It is for the lack of that, that people despair and go down.

Friendship, of itself a holy tie, is made more sacred by adversity.

Reality is like a fruitcake; pretty enough to look at but with all sorts of nasty things lurking just beneath the surface.

From the viewpoint of a Jesuit priest I am, of course, and have always been an atheist.

I'd like to play for you one of my compositions, my only composition.

The irruption of the supernatural into our world is a much more enticing notion to explore than the same thing happening in some past time, or in a wholly imaginary world.

Many people fear the words Lord and God.

Social justice has always been a part of my inspiration. For example, when the Vietnam War was going on, I wrote a song about that.

Knowledge has been a passion with me during my whole life, one which has not lost its charm to the present day.

If you get discouraged about a section of a novel, that can be more catastrophic than getting discouraged about an individual story.

Never to get lost is not to live, not to know how to get lost brings you to destruction.