Writers, and particularly female writers, have to fight for the conditions they need to work.

Coincidences are God's way of remaining anonymous.

Borrowing is not much better than begging; just as lending with interest is not much better than stealing.

Hitler admired Stalin, quite properly seeing himself as a mere infant in crime compared to his great exemplar.

In fact I've reached the stage where I look at people and say - he or she, they are whole at all because they've chosen to block off at this stage or that. People stay sane by blocking off, by limiting themselves.

For women like me, integrity isn't chastity, it isn't fidelity, it isn't any of the old words. Integrity is the orgasm. That is something I haven't any control over.

I don't think in terms of optimism and pessimism when writing a story. I am telling a story.