Quote collection
813 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"It was like any other relationship, there was jealousy on both sides, there were split-ups and reconciliations. There were also fragmented moments of great peace and beauty. I often tried to get away from her and she tried to get away from me but it was difficult: Cupid, in his strange way, was really there."
"Style is the answer to everything. A fresh way to approach a dull or dangerous thing"
"Joan of Arc had style. Jesus had style."
"What a weary time those years were -- to have the desire and the need to live but not the ability."
"When I begin to doubt my ability to work the word, I simply read another writer and know I have nothing to worry about. My contest is only with myself, to do it right, with power, and force, and delight, and gamble."
"The dog approached again, cautiously. I found the bologna sandwich, ripped off a chunk, wiped the cheap watery mustard off, then placed it on the sidewalk. The dog walked up to the bit of sandwich, put his nose to it, sniffed, then turned and walked off. This time he didn't look back. He accelerated down the street. No wonder I had been depressed all my life. I wasn't getting proper nourishment."
"That was the trouble with being a writer, that was the main trouble—leisure time, excessive leisure time. You had to wait around for the buildup until you could write and while you were waiting you went crazy, and while you were going crazy you drank and the more you drank the crazier you got."
"In a capitalistic society the losers slaved for the winners and you have to have more losers than winners."
"Death meant little to me. It was the last joke in a series of bad jokes."
"The worst men have the best jobs the best men have the worst jobs or are unemployed or locked in madhouses."
"Knowledge is knowing as little as possible."
"I don't think I'll travel anymore. Travel is nothing but an inconvenience. There is always enough trouble where you are."
"If you're going to try, go all the way. This could mean losing girlfriends, wives, relatives, jobs and maybe your mind."
"She was desperate and she was choosey at the same time and, in a way, beautiful, but she didn't have quite enough going for her to become what she imagined herself to be."
"We do not abandon ship. I say, as corny as it may sound, through the strength and spirit and fire and dare and gamble of a few men in a few ways we can save the carcass of humanity from drowning. No light goes out until it goes out. Let's fight as men, not rats. Period. No further addition."
"I knew exactly what I was doing: I was doing nothing. because I knew there was nothing to do."
"A woman is a full time job. You have to choose your profession."
"Do some living and get yourself a typewriter."
"Sex can sometimes become the most horrible of tasks."
"I've never been lonely. I like myself. I'm the best form of entertainment I have. Let's drink more wine!"