The only thing we have learnt from experience is that we learn nothing from experience.

Once you allow yourself to identify with the people in a story, then you might begin to see yourself in that story even if on the surface it's far removed from your situation.

Every generation must recognize and embrace the task it is peculiarly designed by history and by providence to perform.

Real tragedy is never resolved. It goes on hopelessly for ever.

If I hold her hand she says, ‘Don’t touch!’ If I hold her foot she says ‘Don’t touch!’ But when I hold her waist-beads she pretends not to know.

The whole idea of a stereotype is to simplify. Instead of going through the problem of all this great diversity - that it's this or maybe that - you have just one large statement; it is this.

I teach literature. That's easy for me. Take someone else's work and talk about it.