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

“Here's an easy way to figure out if you're in a cult: If you're wondering whether you're in a cult, the answer is yes.”

“What you're saying is 'Has a historian the right to offend?' and the answer is very definitely, yes.”

“It's hard to say no when you're not aware of everything you've said yes to.”

“Yes, it's a well-known fact about you: you're like death, you take everything.”

“For any writer who wants to keep a journal, be alive to everything, not just to what you're feeling, but also to your pets, to flowers, to what you're reading.”

“You're crazy, you know that?"
"Yes. But I'm a demon in the sack."
I laughed. "Okay then. That fixes everything."
"That's right, it does.”

“When your mother asks, "Do you want a piece of advice?" it's a mere formality. It doesn't matter if you answer yes or no. You're going to get it anyway.”

“If you need drugs to be a good writer, you're not a good writer.”

“Tell him to live by yes and no — yes to everything good, no to everything bad.”