If you want to see the consequences of ideas, write a story. If you want to see the consequences of belief, write a story in which somebody is acting on the ideas or beliefs that she has.
Charles BaxterAs the poet says, all happy couples are alike, it's the unhappy ones who create the stories. I'm no longer a story. Happiness has made me fade into real life.
Charles BaxterIt's better to be nominated for awards than not to be nominated for them, but of course to some degree such awards [National Book Award] are always subjective.
Charles BaxterYou think that what I've told you is an anecdote. But really it isn't. It's my whole life. It's the only story I have.
Charles Baxter