"It is a enduring truth that the spark of ambition becomes a blaze of accomplishment only through disciplined persistence — an essential principle for the reflective life."

"The harmony of the universe dictates that joy is found not in possessing, but in appreciating."

"Do not measure life by the breaths you take, but by the moments that stir your soul. Let this simple maxim guide your daily deeds."

"The greatest journey starts when hope is the anchor of a weary soul."

"I must say I find television very educational. The minute somebody turns it on, I go to the library and read a good book."

"He who is the author of a war lets loose the whole contagion of hell and opens a vein that bleeds a nation to death."

"Write with the learned, pronounce with the vulgar."

"You hear the best stories from ordinary people. That sense of immediacy is more real to me than a lot of writerly, literary-type crafted stories. I want that immediacy when I read a novel."