Children love secret club houses. They love secrecy even when there's no need for secrecy

After all, the appeal to stop being yourself, even for a little while, is very great

There's an expectation these days that novels - like any other consumer product - should be made on a production line, with one dropping from the conveyor belt every couple of years.

Death is the mother of beauty,” said Henry. “And what is beauty?” “Terror.

It's hard for me to show work while I'm writing, because other people's comments will influence what happens.

Sometimes you can do all the right things and not succeed. And that's a hard lesson of reality.

As I stood with her on the platform - she impatient, tapping her foot, leaning forward to look down the tracks - it seemed more than I could bear to see her go. Francis was around the corner, buying her a book to read on the train. 'I don't want you to leave,' I said. 'I don't want to, either.' 'Then don't.' 'I have to.' We stood looking at each other. It was raining. She looked at me with her rain-colored eyes. Camilla, I love you,' I said. 'Let's get married.