We were not as rich as the Rockefellers or Mellons, but we were rich enough to know how rich they were.

Keep doing good deeds long enough, and you'll probably turn out a good man in spite of yourself.

I don't give a damn what people think.

A neurotic can perfectly well be a literary genius, but his greatest danger is always that he will not recognize when he is dull.

Only little boys and old men sneer at love.

A man can spend his whole existence never learning the simple lesson that he has only one life and that if he fails to do what he wants with it, nobody else really cares.

The only thing that keeps a man going is energy. And what is energy but liking life?

There is a charm, even for homely things, in perfect maintenance.

Great lovers have made great sacrifices.

Perfection irritates as well as it attracts, in fiction as in life.

Once somebody's aware of a plot, it's like a bone sticking out. If it breaks through the skin, it's very ugly.

Writing poetry is about learning to pare down the poem to the most essential words. Every word used has to be crucial to the poem.

All they can talk about is Manchester United.

Literature makes history come to life. It is maybe the most accurate depiction of history, especially literature that was written in the time period depicted in the story.

Empathize with silence by listening for the feelings and needs behind it.

Who needs enemies when you've got Republican Surrenderists for Obamacare waiting in the wings?

All characters come from people I know, but after the initial inspiration, I tend to modify the characters so they fit with the story.

If you worry about financial Armageddon, it is indeed metaphorically the time to stock your bunker with guns, ammunition, canned food and gold bars.

A poet, as he is the author to others of the highest wisdom, pleasure, virtue, and glory, so he ought personally to be the happiest, the best, the wisest, and the most illustrious of men.

Success is created through the performance of a few small daily disciplines that stack up over time to produce achievements far beyond anything you could have ever planned for.