“God is not here to be demanded of, begged from, or criticized. He hands out burdens to those who are strong enough to carry them, and I feel profoundly uncomfortable with the idea of lining up with the other invalids and asking for mine to be alleviated.”

“She had been so fiercely alive. She had spoken honestly, and lived with an honesty that few could claim to match. She had made the most of every minute she was given. She bargained and rationed and managed the seconds. She burned up the days.”

“Hope may have a positive reputation, but it has a vicious downside. If you have hope, you can be crushed.”

“Asking a writer what he thinks about critics is like asking what a fire hydrant feels about dogs.”

“There were those emotions down there, and though she couldn't quite feel them, they were strong and she feared them. It was like watching a thunderhead from high up in a plane, and though you weren't under it, you knew how it would feel if you were. You knew you'd have to land eventually.”

“Grimspace is a bitch mistress who carries unearthly delight in one hand and a crop in the other.”

“Assaults by fanatics on our safety... does not justify assaults by the government on our freedom!”