The very essence of literature is the war between emotion and intellect between life and death. When literature becomes too intellectual - when it begins to ignore the passions the emotions - it becomes sterile silly and actually without substance.

Belief is the death of intelligence.

Intellectual growth should commence at birth and cease only at death.

We are constantly protecting the male ego and it's a disservice to men. If a man has any sensitivity or intelligence he wants to get the straight scoop from his girlfriend.

The people on my mum's side of the family are atheist intellectuals who are ueber-proper. My dad's side of the family are missionaries who are more comfortable sitting around in sweatpants than they are in a five-star restaurant. But those two influences converged in my life.

My dad used to say 'Just because you dress up in a coat and tie it doesn't influence your intelligence.'

My dad is still Christian Scientist. My mom's not and I'm not. But I believe in God and that there's a higher power and an intelligence that's bigger than us and that we can rely on. It's not just us thinking we are the ones in control of everything. That idea gives me support.

Someone once told me the one thread that runs through them all is a premium on personal courage - not intellectual courage but just plain physical courage.

None speak of the bravery the might or the intellect of Jesus but the devil is always imagined as a being of acute intellect political cunning and the fiercest courage. These universal and instinctive tendencies of the human mind reveal much.

An able disinterested public-spirited press with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery.