The burning of a book is a sad, sad sight, for even though a book is nothing but ink and paper, it feels as if the ideas contained in the book are disappearing as the pages turn to ashes and the cover and binding--which is the term for the stitching and glue that holds the pages together--blacken and curl as the flames do their wicked work. When someone is burning a book, they are showing utter contempt for all of the thinking that produced its ideas, all of the labor that went into its words and sentences, and all of the trouble that befell the author . . .

One has to adopt a sort of Zen calm, in which you know you wrote the best book that you could at the time.

Historically, a story about people inside impressive buildings ignoring or even taunting people standing outside shouting at them turns out to be a story with an unhappy ending.

There are some who go through life with a shadow hanging over them, particularly if they live in a building which has long wide awnings.

I write storys to entertain not to be the best

You meet people who are in pain in life and love and you forgive them for behaving the way they do.

For Beatrice - you will always be in my mind, in my heart and in your grave.