For me, the present is a golden era. That's the greatest golden era. Right now. I just like pining for lost times.

Our roots are clinging, we shouldn't knock down so many old 'buildings.'

The Cha-Cha is no more ridiculous than life itself.

I decided the moment I graduated from college that I would never wear blue jeans again. And I have never worn blue jeans again.

We learned some bad things, and the Vietnam War led to some bad conclusions. We're not the greatest generation, that's for sure.

[Jerome David] Salinger was really taken to the cleaners by nasty critics in his day. I think Joan Didion was one of the people who attacked him in a very unfair way.

I originally wanted to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but failed.

I find it really disturbing to be watching a lot of the medium that I'm trying to work in. I prefer to be doing things that are farther away.

I love watching the romantic comedies of the late '50s and early '60s. I used to have a rule that if Tony Randall's in it, it can't be bad.

I call the '70s the "golden age of television"; in the early '70s there were sensationally good shows.

[ Lady Susan novel by Jane Austen is] extremely difficult to adapt. I worked on it for years, for, like, ten years, before I started showing it to people. This was my back-burner project.

It was dark, so I couldn't make out much of her face, but she had brilliant red hair, like honey and roses and the sun altogether.

Afterward, there was that long, crowded pause in which everyone decides that although they are very shaken, and possibly upside down, they are, to their surprise, still alive.

To seek solitude like a wild animal. That is my only ambition.

Don't let other people distract what you're doing. There's always haters.

Each hour comes with some little faggot of God's will fastened upon its back.

If anyone accuses me of contradicting myself, I shall reply; I have been wrong once or more often, however I do not aspire to be always wrong.

Forgive and give as if it were your last opportunity.

You can't live up to what people expect. Nobody can. But I guess that's my problem, not theirs.

The kids are Job One. So, to be quite candid, if they need me, I do my utmost to make sure I'm there.

Dear me, I believe I am becoming a god. An emperor ought at least to die on his feet.