“A writer lives at best, in a state of astonishment.”

“A writer lives, at least, in a state of astonishment. Beneath any feeling he has of the good or evil of the world lies a deeper one of wonder at it all. To transmit that feeling, he writes.”

“Some writers have so confounded society with government, as to leave little or no distinction between them; whereas they are not only different, but have different origins ... Society is in every state a blessing, but Government, even in its best state, is but a necessary evil; in its worst state, an intolerable one.”

“All good writers express the state of their souls, even (as occurs in some cases of very good writers) if it is a state of damnation.”

“Rejection is a writer's best friend. If you are not failing regularly, you are living so far below your potential that you're failing anyway.”

“There are all kinds of writers. The best writers write children's books.”