“But what are they? Annie asked.An omphalos, probably, said Jacob.A what, dear? Melinda asked.A bellybutton of the world.I didnt know it had one.”

“By its nature a relationship was not an accomplishment. It was just a connection that happened to exist, for as long as it did exist.”

“Since he had given up men he had taken up geography. He visited a new sight or a new neighborhood nearly every weekend.”

“A year ago he had been in America. Two years ago he had been straight. Tonight he was underground, with the remains of the bogey man, lit by the torches of the children who had killed him.”

“I suppose it does come with a certain responsibility.What does? asked Annie.The magnificence of my person.Gah.”

“Crisis the midwife of capitalism. The advisers arrive and say, My god, they have no predatory class here. It is an emergency! We must create one immediately. Let us arrange to give everything to a...”

“Sometimes two people have to fall apart, to realize how much they need to fall back together.”

“Good literature is one key to peace. When we stop reading each other, when we stop paying attention to each other's words and stories, we too easily oppose one another.”

“There is only one motive for writing a novel: to be published and read. To me there is no distinction between the mystery novel and the novel, only between good books and bad books. A good book tak...”

“If you want to be a writer-stop talking about it and sit down and write!”

“You can write nothing of value unless you give yourself wholly to the the theme -- and when you so give yourself -- you lose appetite ans sleep -- it cannot be helped --”

“If you're a writer, the answer to everything is yes.”