“The only difference was one of them was trying to make a perfect cake and one of them was trying to write a great book. But if we remove that from the equation, it's the same impulse and they are equally entitled to their ecstasies and their despair.”
“It's like a light went off right at that moment, ... I could see my project. I knew I had something. I literally started working on it that next day.”
“People worked seven days for 12-14 hours, there was no regulation of any kind - there were no trash pick-ups, there were dead horses lying in the streets - and through all of this walked our great American whirling dervish, Walt Whitman, saying 'I find it all to my taste, I find it all miraculous and strange, and yes, even beautiful',”
“Like any powerful creation, can be used in a number of ways... in this book, which chronicles various dissolutions and breakages, there is still Walt Whitman, the dogged optimist.”
“We know the Bay Area will be hit by a major quake some time in the next few decades, and we are one of the top terrorist targets. Transportation around the area is hindered by (San Francisco Bay) but we can turn that into an advantage by efficient use of our ferry system.”
