It is very difficult to teach navigation theory to someone who clings to the shore.

For a short-story writer, a story is the combination of what the writer supposed the story would likely be about - plus what actually turned up in the course of writing.

Apprenticeship is one of the dearest roles of childhood, not just watching Dad or Mother, but being taught a hands-on trade.

The secret of literature, which conventional people don't guess, is that writers are forever looking for the surprising revelation - not for reinforcement of collective wisdom.

An essay is a work of literary art which has a minimum of one anecdote and one universal idea.

Emily was feeling the elation of conscientious hosts when they can temporarily escape a ubiquitous houseguest.

Literature has low enough standards. But we can avoid writing the worst literature if we make ourselves ask ourselves, every two or three sentences we write, 'Is that what I really think?'