They all said the way to a man’s heart was through his asshole. - Edmund White

The best explanation of masochism, the appeal of masochism, is that it accepts shame; the sickening shame one must swallow and hide is at last accepted, employed, even loved — the shame about a mutilation, hairiness, too much or not enough fat, the shame about wanting to serve, to be a dog, son, wife, slave, horse, prisoner.

Critics always praise precision in writing, and some great writers (Joyce, Beckett, Gustave Flaubert) are masters of clarity — but one of the great (and seldom mentioned) resources of fiction is vagueness.

for him, music was emotion, and he did not believe in discussing feelings.