I worked for half a cent a word. I'm not a fast writer to begin with, so for the first few years I had do other things.

Then there was Clark Ashton Smith, who wrote for Weird Tales and who had a wild imagination. He wasn't a very talented writer, but his imagination was wonderful.

There was a writer in the '20s called Christopher Morley, who I remember a little bit of, who had some influence on me, but I couldn't tell you what it was.

I never worked in an office in my life.

But I've sure worked at jobs where I have been under inspection.

I thought that automobiles were going to have mufflers and go fast and airplanes were going to fly fast.