Write because you love the art and the discipline, not because you're looking to sell something.

Art stands on the shoulders of craft, which means that to get to the art, you must master the craft.

Some people need a huge amount of attention, and they are worthy of that attention, and they're still exhausting.

The Swedish he knew was mostly from Bergman films. He had learned it as a college student, matching the subtitles to the sounds. In Swedish, he could only converse on the darkest of subjects.

The secret is to keep adding voices, adding ideas, and moving things around as you put together your life. If you’re lucky, putting together your life is a process that will last through every single day you’re alive.

I don't write for an audience, I don't think whether my book will sell, I don't sell it before I finish writing it.

We are taught to be suspicious, especially of anyone who might not look like us or share our beliefs.