“Yes, there's one thing I do want. I want to be aware of the minutes and the seconds, and to make each one count.”

“Love shouldn't make a beggar of one. I wouldn't want love if I had to beg for it, to barter or qualify it. And I should despise it if anyone ever begged for my love. Love is something that must be given -- it can't be bought with words or pity, or even reason.”

“When you're climbing Mount Everest, nothing is easy. You just take one step at a time, never look back and always keep your eyes glued to the top.”

“Never let anyone shame you into doing anything you don't choose to do. Keep your identity.”

“Neely O'Hara: [drunk in a bar] Who's stoned? I am merely traveling incognito.”

“I don't think any novelist should be concerned with literature…literature should be left to essayists. ”

“A man must feel he runs things, but as long as you control yourself, you control him.”