“Manhattan was kaleidoscopic. Cubist. Just when she was feeling one way, the seasons changed, and so did she.”

“Florence has a passion for books. When she saw the one she was seeking, she would recognize it, as if the volume had belonged to her in a previous life.”

“How I love - writing, acting, breathing the atmosphere- and one day I'll have it. If I cannot write, I shall die.”

“We are living now. We shall not live long. No one should tell us we shall live again. This is our little while. This is our chance.”

“You have so much to offer, she was often told, as if she had a tray of cigarettes and candy perpetually strapped to her waist.”

“Aspire to decency. Practice civility toward one another. Admire and emulate ethical behavior wherever you find it. Apply a rigid standard of morality to your lives; and if, periodically, you fail ­ as you surely will ­ adjust your lives, not the standards.”

“What Moses brought down from Mt Siniai were not ten suggestions. They are Commandments”