The American landscape has no foreground and the American mind no background.

Most timidities have such secret compensations and Miss Bart was discerning enough to know that the inner vanity is generally in proportion to the outer self depreciation.

Everything about her was both vigorous and exquisite.

True originality consists not in a new manner but in a new vision.

If only we'd stop trying to be happy, we could have a pretty good time.

Sometimes life seems like a match between oneself and one's gaolors. The gaolers, of course, are one's mistakes; and the question is, who'll hold out longest? When I think of that, life instead of being too long, seems as short as a winter day....