Being among my people is a delight. We Jews live among ourselves. I love it.

In a restaurant one is both observed and unobserved. Joy and sorrow can be displayed and observed "unwittingly," the writer scowling naively and the diners wondering, What the hell is he doing?

I hate the computer. I hate their spell-check. I won't ever do e-mail.

I've always been more comfortable sinking while clutching a good theory than swimming with an ugly fact.

I've always been fascinated by the picaresque.

Everybody makes their own fun. If you don't make it yourself, it isn't fun. It's entertainment.

My alma mater is the Chicago Public Library.