I claim the right to take a stand once in a while.

My job is to look at what politics is doing, not be a politician myself.

I live quietly at home among my family and friends.

The most important basis of any novel is wanting to be someone else, and this means creating a character.

My books are about losers, about people who've lost their way and are engaged in a search.

Literature is my life of course, but from an ontological point of view. From an existential point of view, I like being a teacher.

But I don't think I have any particular talent for prediction, because when you have three or four elements in hand, you don't have to be a genius to reach certain conclusions.