I really believe hatred is not a primal emotion, in that you can't find it in nature. It's basically some kind of distortion of fear.

People usually don't allow you to cut off their tongue.

The reason I write is that I'm not in dialogue with my emotions; writing puts me in touch with myself.

The best stories you usually hear are stories that people feel some type of urgency about.

Translators are like ninjas. If you notice them, they’re no good.

I'm not saying that I don't experience people in life as evil, but writing is not a place of alienation; writing is the place where we can try to be human. I think there are some artists whose works are misanthropic. When I see this kind of stuff, I think, they're smart, but I don't need art to tell me people are assholes. I can just go into the streets.

Apparently, I'm very, very popular in jails. They often ask me to come and speak.