“You must write to please yourself; you must be completely honest about the world as you see it.”

“There is no greater happiness in the world than to be fulfilled in your vocation, even if the material rewards are minimal. There is no greater bitterness than to realize that your vocation has come to nothing, even if you’re materially successful. But life awards few consolation prizes: To fail as a writer doesn’t automatically mean that you will be successful at anything else.”