You get up in the morning because you might meet a woman. And if you stay at home by yourself, alone, you will not meet a woman.

Anybody who doesn't know that politics is crime has got a few screws loose.

I would like to provoke ambiguous responses in my readers.

Tell me anything. Tell me everything. Revoke our time apart. Love me fierce in danger.

L.A.: Come on vacation, go home on probation.

Cats gotta scratch. Dogs gotta bite. I gotta write.

I am a writer. I could not afford to take 15 months off from my writing career to play detective.

Some men get the world, some men get ex-hookers and a trip to Arizona. You're in with the former, but my God I don't envy the blood on your conscience.

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

I love thinking about American history, thinking about LA history. I love brooding on crime.

I learn things late-and only the hard way.

Rule 1: The actions of confidence come first

If love is EVERYTHING, you are missing out a whole spectrum of emotions and would want to end life if there is no love!

Strength on its own in a woman is quite abrasive and not terribly attractive all the time.

Air control can be established by superiority in numbers, by better employment, by better equipment, or by a combination of these factors.

Makeup is such a weird concept. I'll wake up in the morning and look in the mirror. 'Gee, I really don't look so good. Maybe if my eyelids were blue, I'd be more attractive.

There is a universal urge to rethink our spirituality in order to give us a new sense of security.

The Christians stole the winter solstice from the pagans, and capitalism stole it from the Christians.

Your offer," he said, "is far too idiotic to be declined.

I think I look cool. I don't know about the other three but I look cool, I am cool.

First, I think the science of monetary economics has clearly gotten better.