“Fame is no sure test of merit.”
“A journey, I reflected, is of no merit unless it has tested you.”
“But in those whom no necessity forces to turn Author, who merely write for fame, and have full leisure to polish their compositions, faults are impardonable, and merit the sharpest arrows of criticism.”
“So being single and childless had its merits. For dang sure.”
“A writer doesn't dream of riches and fame, though those things are nice. A true writer longs to leave behind a piece of themselves, something that withstands the test of time and is passed down for generations.”
“These guys, they were so sure of their places in life--so deeply confident of their merit and their future--they didn't need any kind of front at all.”