“I asked Ring Lardner the other day how he writes his short stories, and he said he wrote a few widely separated words or phrases on a piece of paper and then went back and filled in the spaces. Harold Ross”

“What he felt during his Spanish encounter with left-wing anti-Christianity was similar to his reactions to the anti-Christianity of the right. The "novelty and shock of the Nazis", Auden wrote, and the blitheness with which Hitler's acolytes dismissed Christianity "on the grounds that to love one's neighbor as oneself was a command fit only for effeminate weaklings", pushed him inexorably toward unavoidable questions. "If, as I am convinced, the Nazis are wrong and we are right, what is it that validates our values and invalidates theirs?" The answer to this question, he wrote later, was part of what "brought me back to the church.”

“Finally, when someone asked [Pollack] how he knew when a painting was finished, he replied, “How do you know when you’ve finished making love?”

“Okay, you promised, just two friends having dinner.” I slurred. He shook his head and laughed.“No you said that not me,” He smirked.”

“Chase opened the mini fridge. “Wanna drink?” He asked.“No thank you and you shouldn’t either.”“Oh I definitely need one, besides it numbs the hunger.” He grabbed a few of the tiny bottles from the door shelf.“Then by all means get your drink on.” Samuel chuckled.”

“What’s ‘at supposed tae mean?” He asked insulted.“Everyone always has an ulterior motive.” I replied.“Well I dinnae, an’ I’m nae claimin’ tae be innocent. I was lookin’ fur ye, as per yer mother’s request. Nae hidden agenda here!” He said sternly. “Besides, if I wanted ye dead, you’d be dead.” He stressed out the last part.”

“He was not going to be dragged into other people´s business. He was going to plunge in headfirst.”