"truth: When a thing is funny, search it carefully for a hidden truth."

"humor: Humor is rare in science fiction... there's so little of it that it automatically reminds you of other heroes with that acerbic humor when you find it."

"life: Most of us won't see one another after graduation, and even if we do it will be different. We'll be different. We'll be adults--cured, tagged and labeled and paired and identified and placed neatly on our life path, perfectly round marbles set to roll down even, well-defined slopes."

"poetry: Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field.I'll meet you there."

"philosophy: Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children."

"happiness: And although it might be best of all to be Socrates satisfied, having both happiness and depth, we would give up some happiness in order to gain the depth."

"purpose: Of all the questions I have asked my readers this is the most important: What would you do if you weren't afraid? When you finally give wings to that answer then you have found your life's purpose."

"hope: Few tragedies can be more extensive than the stunting of life, few injustices deeper than the denial of an opportunity to strive or even to hope, by a limit imposed from without, but falsely identified as lying within."

"success: Success represents the 1% of your work which results from the 99% that is called failure."

"humor: I am free of all prejudice. I hate everyone equally."

"success: Failure is the key to success; each mistake teaches us something."

"knowledge: There's no short-cut in life but with right knowledge, you can fast-track things to come to pass."