John D. MacDonald
John D. MacDonald
John Dann MacDonaldwas an American writer of novels and short stories, known for his thrillers...
ProfessionNovelist
Date of Birth24 July 1916
heterosexuality prison cures
The only thing that prisons demonstrably cure is heterosexuality.
relationship home commitment
At times it seems as if arranging to have no commitment of any kind to anyone would be a special freedom. But in fact the whole idea works in reverse. The most deadly commitment of all is to be committed only to one's self. Some come to realize this after they are in the nursing home.
war color white
Now each one of us, black or white, is a symbol. The war is out in the open and the skin color is a uniform. All the deep and basic similarities of the human condition are forgotten so that we can exaggerate the few differences that exist.
people adoption inexplicable
People cannot endure inexplicable worthlessness
girl giving-up night
We were about to give up and call it a night when somebody threw the girl off the bridge.
girl strong would-be
This was not some pretty little girl, coyly flirtatious, delicately stimulated. This was the mature female of the species, vivid, handsome and strong demanding that all the life within her be matched. Her instinct would detect any hedging, any dishonesty, any less than complete response to her - and then she would be gone for good.
men cards credit
A man with a credit card is in hock to his own image of himself.
knowing self people
You have to start knowing yourself so well that you begin to know other people. A piece of us is in every person we can ever meet.
mean adults action
Being an adult means accepting those situations where no action is possible.
standing blindfolds standing-there
A nonreader is somebody standing there in a blindfold.
sunset religion looks
[To] me organized religion, the formalities and routines, [is] like being marched in formation to look at a sunset.
thinking done logic
All thinking is done with the glands. Logic is added later to tidy things up.
touching world strange
The only thing in the world worth a damn is the strange, touching, pathetic, awesome nobility of the individual human spirit.
music night self
Night and gin and music-the right setting for peeling off the thin clinging layers of bullshit and finding one's way down closer to the essential self.