We must declare ourselves, become known; allow the world to discover this subterranean life of ours which connects kings and farm boys, artists and clerks. Let them see that the important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.

American writers want to be not good but great; and so are neither.

Writing fiction has become a priestly business in countries that have lost their faith.

The important thing is not the object of love, but the emotion itself.

For the average American, freedom of speech is simply the freedom to repeat what everyone else is saying and no more.

Ayn Rand's 'philosophy' is nearly perfect in its immorality, which makes the size of her audience all the more ominous and symptomatic as we enter a curious new phase in our society.... To justify and extol human greed and egotism is to my mind not only immoral, but evil.