When I write a novel, I have what I think of as an icon that helps get me into the world of the book.

We almost manage to forget that things happen that we don't anticipate.

America is a country that seems forever to be toddler or teenager, at those two stages of human development characterized by conflict between autonomy and security.

It's only before realities set in that we can treasure our delusions.

All of the qualities that you need to be a good opinion columnist tend to be qualities that aren't valued in women.

More than a decade after our fellow citizens began bedding down on the sidewalks, their problems continue to seem so intractable that we have begun to do psychologically what government has been incapable of doing programmatically. We bring the numbers down--not by solving the problem, but by deciding it's their own damn fault.

Choose the kids. There will be plenty of time later to choose work.