We ought never to scoff at the wretched, for who can be sure of continued happiness?

Patience and time do more than strength or passion.

A person often meets his destiny on the road he took to avoid it.

Rare as is true love, true friendship is rarer.

Friendship is the shadow of the evening, which increases with the setting sun of life.

Death never takes the wise man by surprise, he is always ready to go.

Every flatterer lives at the expense of him who listens to him.

Man is so made that when anything fires his soul, impossibilities vanish.

All the brains in the world are powerless against the sort of stupidity that is in fashion.

Nothing is more dangerous than a friend without discretion; even a prudent enemy is preferable.

Beware, so long as you live, of judging men by their outward appearance.

It's amazing to me that we humans have the intellectual capacity to ask deep questions and to devise methods for learning how the universe works and how its contents evolve with time.

I eat Fig Newtons by the sleeve.

Me and crazy Janey were making love in the dirt singing our birthday songs.

I had this idea about terrible things happening to orphans, and I knew it was such a horrible idea that the idea of writing it down and then submitting it professionally was obviously absurd.

I'm skeptical of any mission that has advertisers at its centerpiece.

If you want me to shine, you need to give me the parole to do that.

When I was very young I wanted to be a professional horseback rider. Then I wanted to be a pop singer. Then I wanted to be a psychiatrist. Then I wanted to be a movie director.

Well, one thing I'm really interested in, when I'm writing, is being accurate.

Do the work, enjoy the work, take it seriously, don't take yourself seriously and keep your head down!

I don't really cook. There are caterers, and my husband cooks.