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
glaciers would-be galloping
If you would be thrilled by watching the galloping advance of a major glacier, you'd be ecstatic watching changes in publishing.
writing reality color
I want story, wit, music, wryness, color, and a sense of reality in what I read, and I try to get it in what I write.
cards deck ifs
If the cards are stacked against you, reshuffle the deck.
writing people purpose
My purpose is to entertain myself first and other people secondly.
communication thinking years
The dividing line [between friends and acquaintances] is communication, I think. A friend is someone to whom you can say any jackass thing that enters your mind. With acquaintances, you are forever aware of their slightly unreal image of you, and to keep them content, you edit yourself to fit. Many marriages are between acquaintances. You can be with a person for three hours of your life and have a friend. Another will remain an acquaintance for thirty years.
integrity blow men
Integrity is not a conditional word. It doesn't blow in the wind or change with the weather. It is your inner image of yourself, and if you look in there and see a man who won't cheat, then you know he never will.
new-york thinking two
New York is where it is going to begin, I think. You can see it coming. The insect experts have learned how it works with locusts. Until locust population reaches a certain density, they all act like any grasshoppers. When the critical point is reached, they turn savage and swarm, and try to eat the world. We're nearing a critical point. One day soon two strangers will bump into each other at high noon in the middle of New York. But this time they won't snarl and go on. They will stop and stare and then leap at each others