At the heart of every frustration lies a basic structure: the collision of a wish with an unyielding reality.

The problem is if you really believe in a society where those who merit to get to the top, get to the top, you’ll also, by implication … believe in a society where those who deserve to get to the bottom also get to the bottom and stay there.

We keep a special place in our hearts for people who refuse to be impressed by us.

You have to be quite heavily invested in someone to do them the honour of telling them you're annoyed with them.

People who hold important positions in society are commonly labelled "somebodies," and their inverse "nobodies"-both of which are, of course, nonsensical descriptors, for we are all, by necessity, individuals with distinct identities and comparable claims on existence. Such words are nevertheless an apt vehicle for conveying the disparate treatment accorded to different groups. Those without status are all but invisible: they are treated brusquely by others, their complexities trampled upon and their singularities ignored.

Never, ever become a writer. It's a nightmare.

You need a long hard day's work to reveal the logic of the craving for very bad tv and alcohol.