“well, death says, as he walks by, I'm going to get you anyhow no matter what you've been: writer, cab-driver, pimp, butcher, sky-diver, I'm going to get you”

“great books are the ones we need”

“not writing is not good but trying to write when you can't is worse.”

“I could read the great books but the great books don't interest me.”

“writing about a writer's block is better than not writing at all”