Politicians were like talking dogs in a circus: the fact that they existed was uncommonly interesting, but no sane person would actually believe what they said

Good people don't spend their time being good. Good people want to spend their time mowing the lawn and playing with the dog. But bad people spend all their time being bad. It is all they think about.

The best Paris I know now is in my head.

I don't really write plots. I use history as the engine that drives everything.

Once you have your characters, they tell you what to write, you don't tell them.

I read very little contemporary anything.

Live today, for tomorrow we die.