John Irving on family

Never confuse faith, or belief — of any kind — with something even remotely intellectual.

You’ve got to get obsessed and stay obsessed.

Life forces enough final decisions on us. We should have the sense to avoid as many of the unnecessary ones as we can.

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around.
But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.

The family you come from isn’t as important as the family you’re going to have.

Ring Lardner1885–1933

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap on-a-rope.

Bill Cosbyborn 1937