A writer is a spectator, looking at everything with a highly critical eye.
Prufrock had measured out his life with measuring spoons; Dubin, in books resurrecting the lives of others.
Writers who can't invent stories often substitute style for narrative. They remind me of the painter who couldn't paint people, so he painted chairs.
A writer has to surprise himself to be worth reading.
There are no wrong books. What's wrong is the fear of them.
The purpose of freedom is to create it for others.