Artists are the traditional interpreters of dreams and nightmares.

I never thought of London in terms of possible heroes - of course, there are thousands. It's a very talented city.

All my friends' mothers were appalling women.

Advice to young writers? Always the same advice: learn to trust our own judgment, learn inner independence, learn to trust that time will sort the good from the bad– including your own bad.

With a library you are free, not confined by temporary political climates. It is the most democratic of institutions because no one - but no one at all - can tell you what to read and when and how.

Is there any delight as great as the child's discovering ability?

The Freudians describe the conscious as a small lit area, all white, and the unconscious as a great dark marsh full of monsters. In their view, the monsters reach up, grab you by the ankles, and try to drag you down.