'Everything ritualistic must be strictly avoided, because it immediately turns rotten. Of course a kiss is a ritual too and it isn't rotten, but ritual is permissible only to the extent that it is as genuine as a kiss.'

'By groans and various sounds and various movements of parts of my body I would endeavour to express the intentions of my heart to persuade people to bow to my will. But I had not the power to express all that I wanted nor could I make my wishes understood by everybody.'

You got me into the habit of sleeping on one side of the bed. I haven't gotten back out of it since.

'Nietzsche wanted to be, and was, the Plato of his own Socrates.'

'But it’s Beavis who sees things most clearly.'

Music saves; but being able to play your music loud saves you more surely.

'Have you practiced so long to learn to read?'

When I was a child, I was asked who my hero was. I didn't have a hero but felt somewhat embarrassed not to have one when it appeared to be expected of me.

Eventually I decided that I would say that Steve Wozniak was my hero.

He wasn't, but he seemed like a good hero to have, if you had to have one.

'an ample experience of dereliction'