Every book you pick up has its own lesson or lessons, and quite often the bad books have more to teach than the good ones.

You cannot hope to sweep someone else away by the force of your writing until it has been done to you.

Americans are apocalyptic by nature. The reason why is that we've always had so much, so we live in deadly fear that people are going to take it away from us.

God is cruel. Sometimes he makes you live.

We've switched from a culture that was interested in manufacturing, economics, politics - trying to play a serious part in the world - to a culture that's really entertainment-based.

Life is like a wheel. Sooner or later, it always come around to where you started again.

I've always believed in God. I also think that's the sort of thing that either comes as part of the equipment, the capacity to believe, or at some point in your life, when you're in a position where you actually need help from a power greater than yourself, you simply make an agreement.

I guess when you turn off the main road, you have to be prepared to see some funny houses.

What charitable 1 percenters can't do is assume responsibility - America's national responsibilities: the care of its sick and its poor, the education of its young, the repair of its failing infrastructure, the repayment of its staggering war debts.

When his life was ruined, his family killed, his farm destroyed, Job knelt down on the ground and yelled up to the heavens, 'Why god? Why me?' and the thundering voice of God answered, 'There's just something about you that pisses me off.'

It's better to be good than evil, but one achieves goodness at a terrific cost.

The trust of the innocent is the liar's most useful tool.

French is the language that turns dirt into romance.

French is the language that turns dirt into romance.