“I got through my childhood in a delirium of literary exaltations.”

“Observe now with what skill, with what art, I make the biggest transition in this book. Observe: my delirium began in the presence of Virgilia; Virigilia was the great sin of my youth; there is no youth without childhood; childhood presupposes birth; and so we arrive, effortlessly, at October 20, 1805, the date of my birth.”

“You have got to be kidding. Where'd they find it?""I like to think it was Santa finally coming through on years of passionate but ignored childhood letters.”

“A shaft of sweetness shoots through me from top to toe when the sun rises; I shoulder my gun in silent exaltation.”

“The single biggest reason I got my stories taken in various literary magazines - and I want to stress this - is because I refused to give up. Period.”

“Those of us who had a perfectly happy childhood should be able to sue for deprivation of literary royalties.”