With What Dope I Got I Think

The People Who Lie The Most Are Nearly Always The Clumsiest At It, And They're Easier To Fool With Lies Than Most People, Too. You'd Think They'd Be On The Look-out For Lies, But They Seem To Be The Very Ones That Will Believe Almost Anything At All.

Joel Cairo: You Always Have A Very Smooth Explanation Ready. Sam Spade: What Do You Want Me To Do, Learn To Stutter?

Nora: "how Do You Feel?" Nick: "terrible. I Must've Gone To Bed Sober.

When You Write, You Want Fame, Fortune And Personal Satisfaction. You Want To Write What You Want To Write And Feel It's Good, And You Want This To Go On For Hundreds Of Years. You're Not Likely Ever To Get All These Things, And You're Not Likely To Give Up Writing And Commit Suicide If You Don't, But That Is -- And Should Be -- Your Goal. Anything Else Is Kind Of Piddling.

I've Been As Bad An Influence On American Literature As Anyone I Can Think Of.