“But what if we fail' they ask, whispering the dreaded word across the Generation Gap to their parents. 'Don't' they whisper back. What they should say is 'Don't be afraid to fail. Failure isn't fatal”

“Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.”

“Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon.”

“The constant desire to win is a very American kind of trouble. Less glamorous gains made along the way--learning, wisdom, growth, and confidence, dealing with failure--aren't given the same respect because they can't be given a grade.”

“Today the outlandish becomes routine overnight. The humorist is trying to say that it's still outlandish.”

“Be true to yourself and to the culture you were born into. Tell your story as only you can.”

“Don’t try to visualize the great mass audience. There is no such audience—every reader is a different person.”