The Worst Kind of Hell

"In this country, don’t forget, a habit is no damn private hell. There’s no solitary confinement outside of jail. A habit is hell for those you love. And in this country it’s the worst kind of hell for those who love you."
—Billie Holiday, Lady Sings the Blues, 1956

Almost Everything

"Nobody crossed him without a battle. He disliked almost everything, particularly his wife, his children, his neighbors, his church, his priest, his town, his state, his country, and the country from which he emigrated. Nor did he give a damn for the world either, or the sun or the stars, or the universe, or heaven or hell. But he liked women."
—John Fante, The Brotherhood of the Grape, 1977

The New National Pastime

"Consumption. This is the new national pastime. Fuck baseball, it's consumption, the only true, lasting American value that's left . . . buying things . . . People spending money they don't have on things they don't need . . . So they can max out their credit cards and spend the rest of their lives paying 18 percent interest on something that cost $12.50. And they didn't like it when they got it home anyway. Not too bright, folks, not too fuckin' bright." —George Carlin

Empty Bottle

"I hope that was an empty bottle, George! You can't afford to waste good liquor, not on your salary!"
—Martha, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, 1966

The Only Real Danger

"We need more understanding of human nature, because the only real danger that exists is man himself . . . We know nothing of man, far too little. His psyche should be studied because we are the origin of all coming evil."
—Carl Jung, BBC interview, 1959

A Beautiful Age

"We should burn all libraries and allow to remain only that which everyone knows by heart. A beautiful age of the legend would then begin."
—Hugo Ball, journal entry, Jan. 9, 1917, Flight Out of Time: A Dada Diary [1927]

Mayhem

"Eyewitnesses say they are ordinary-looking people. Some say they appear to be in a kind of trance. Others describe them as being misshapen monsters. At this point, there's no really authentic way for us to say who or what to look for and guard yourself against. Reaction of law enforcement officials is one of complete bewilderment at this hour. Police and sheriff's deputies and emergency ambulances are literally deluged with calls for help. The scene can be best described as mayhem."
—Night of the Living Dead, 1968