I realize that I had always in my heart of hearts planned to write a biography of Marie Antoinette.

[In 16th century European society] Marriage was the triumphal arch through which women, almost without exception, had to pass in order to reach the public eye. And after marriage followed, in theory, the total self-abnegation of the woman.

If I write that it was a cold day, you can be sure I know it was a cold day because Pepys told us.

Of course there's no such thing as a totally objective person, except Almighty God, if she exists.

As long as you persecute people, you will actually throw up terrorism.

Her imperturbable self-confidence (Duchesse de Maine) caused Madame de Stael to write that the Duchesse believed in herself the same way she believed in God, without explanation or discussion.

I love hearing details of writers' craft, as cannibals eat the brains of clever men to get cleverer.