Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.

I don't want to be at the mercy of my emotions. I want to use them, to enjoy them, and to dominate them.

Behind every exquisite thing that existed, there was something tragic.

The books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame.

Oh, brothers! I don't care for brothers. My elder brother won't die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything else.

If a man treats life artistically, his brain is his heart.

What fire does not destroy, it hardens

All art is at once surface and symbol. Those who go beneath the surface do so at their peril.

Whenever a man does a thoroughly stupid thing, it is always from the noblest motives.

Every portrait that is painted with feeling is a portrait of the artist, not of the sitter.

The basis of optimism is sheer terror.

Feed your mind with thoughts that inspire, motivate, encourage, empower, educate and instruct you by deliberately choosing the information you allow into your world through sight, sound and people.

Democracy is more vindictive than cabinets, the wars of peoples will be more terrible than those of kings.

Our focus should not be on emerging technologies, but on emerging cultural practices.

People accept their limitations so as to prevent themselves from wanting anything they might get.

I've looked in the mirror every day for 20 years. It's the same face.

The fundamental purpose of the artist is the same as that of a scientist: to state a fact.

For me, language and how I use it are very important. I held back on doing a poetry book, walking the fine line between trying to be helpful and just putting more junk out there.

For what is man's soul but a flame? It flickers in and around the body of a man as does the flame around the rough log.

Before I became famous I used to think there's no smoke without fire. But believe me, there can be a fire without smoke.