The true manipulator never has a reputation for manipulating.

Only in art will the lion lie down with the lamb, and the rose grow without thorn.

Religious belief is without reason and without dignity, and its record is near-universally dreadful.

Probably human cruelty is fixed and eternal. Only styles change.

My life looked good on paper - where, in fact, almost all of it was being lived.

When the past is forgotten, the present is unforgettable

Closure is a greasy little word which, moreover, describes a nonexistent condition. The truth, Venus, is that nobody gets over anything.

Perhaps there are other bits of my life that would take on content, take on shadow, if only I read more and thought less about money.

When you’ve lost all your play, guess what love becomes. Work. Work that gets harder every hour.

Love is blind; but it makes you see the blind man; teetering on the roadside . . .

Every 10 years you're a different person, and the really great books evolve with you as you get older. They're full of new rewards.

An explosion in space makes no sound at all.

A writer's working hours are his waking hours. He is working as long as he is conscious and frequently when he isn't.

When a philosopher says something that is true then it is trivial. When he says something that is not trivial then it is false.

It's the cable shows that are really the most interesting - 'Mad Men,' 'Breaking Bad,' those shows are really the premiere shows on television right now.

I like to dry brush which is really detoxifying for the skin. Exercise is also really important for me for balance and to get those endorphins going.

Elegance is a question of personality, more than one's clothing.

Do we really want another politician in the White House America can't trust?

I tell you Wellington is a bad general, the English are bad soldiers; we will settle this matter by lunch time.

If during their education our youths become alienated from their language, history, ancestors, culture and civilization, it means there is a very serious educational problem there.

So let me end with the wish that you find the same kind of happyiness, and laughter, and love, that I have found, and that you have the wisdon to make them last.