““But I knew this much: how could anyone with half a brain would want to live in a vast, cold place like Russia which was controlled by a few old farts in furry hats and where everyone was barred from owning his own house and having personal possessions, in a barren land without jazz, without Marilyn Monroe (I had become a huge fan after seeing Gentlemen Prefer Blondes), without Studebakers and skyscrapers, without Maria Callas (yes, she was born in New York, U.S.A.) and hot dogs (without ketchup)””
