“A sailor chooses the wind that takes the ship from a safe port. Ah, yes, but once you're abroad, as you have seen, winds have a mind of their own. Be careful, Charlotte, careful of the wind you choose.”

“It is horrible how people will use anything as a political monkey wrench and to hell with the country. (Julia Child to Avis DeVoto)”

“To think that we might easily have gone through life not knowing each other, missing all this free flow of love and ideas and warmth and sharing... We share really almost everything. (Avis DeVoto to Julia Child)”

“You have come nearer to mastering a good many aspects of cooking than anyone except a handful of great chefs, and some day it will pay off. I know it will. You will just have to go on working, and teaching, and getting around, and spreading the gospel until it does. (Avis DeVoto to Julia Child)”

“Every night, I was read to. Every Friday, we were taken to the library. I always received at least one book for my birthday. I have a few of them yet. Early on, I had my own collection of books. I loved to read. Still do.”

“Writing takes a lot of patience. It usually takes me a year to write a book. One time, it took me 14 years to write a book, not that I worked on it every day.”

“Would you believe it? Would you believe it. Okay, this is WLRB, all-talk radio. Take a short break, then come right back to talk about whatever you want. Man, but I'm telling you: what's happening to this country!”

“When dark, it's bright, when brightest, it's gone. When gone for good, so will I be.What am I?”

“People's computers are not getting more secure. They're getting more infected with viruses. They're getting more under the control of malware.”

“There is nothing more destructive to the human soul than the secrets we keep from each other.”

“You know, I'm like Avis rent-a-car: Because I'm insignificant, I try harder.”