“If I’d found out that Norman Mailer liked me, I’d have killed myself. I think he was too hung up. I’m glad Kurt Vonnegut didn’t like me either. He had problems, terrible problems. He couldn’t see the world the way I see it. I suppose I’m too much Pollyanna, he was too much Cassandra. Actually I prefer to see myself as the Janus, the two-faced god who is half Pollyanna and half Cassandra, warning of the future and perhaps living too much in the past—a combination of both. But I don’t think I’m too over optimistic.”

“No. I want you too much to take you in stingy little servings. Maybe you’ll think that’s greedy of me, but I’m not the kind of guy who takes what he wants in half measures.”

“I live for the moment and love for eternity. I mean I’d like to, but I’m too impatient for either.”

“I’d planned to kill them, too.” When Néomi glared up at him, he raised his chained hands.“Past tense. See? Already I’m improving.”

“I hope you don't really see yourself that way," I said.He turned to look at me and narrowed his eyes. "How do you see me?" he said softly.... "I think you're. . ." My voice went nearly silent. "Dangerous.""Why?" he whispered....". . . You make me think too much.".... "I can't help it, Alexis," he said. "I want to make you think too much. . . and then I want to hear the things you've been thinking. . . too much.”

“i was perhaps an egotist in youth, but i soon found it made me morbid to think too much about myself”