The land of literature is a fairy land to those who view it at a distance, but, like all other landscapes, the charm fades on a nearer approach, and the thorns and briars become visible. – Washington Irving
The writer writes in order to teach himself, to understand himself, to satisfy himself; the publishing of his ideas, though it brings gratification, is a curious anticlimax. – Alfred Kazin, Think, February 1963
He had to spend his evenings bruising two fingers on a typewriter, making out reports in duplicate, triplicate, infinity, and confusion. – Federal Works Agency Work Projects Administration, Montana: A State Guide Book
Its red hot, mate. I hate to think of this sort of book getting in the wrong hands. As soon as Ive finished this, I shall recommend they ban it. – Tony Hancock
The bicycle is just as good company as most husbands and, when it gets old and shabby, a woman can dispose of it and get a new one without shocking the entire community. – Ann Strong
