I believe the alphabet is no longer considered an essential piece of equipment for traveling through life. In my day it was the keystone to knowledge. You learned the alphabet as you learned to count to ten, as you learned "Now I lay me" and the Lord's Prayer and your father's and mother's name and address and telephone number, all in case you were lost.

For the source of the short story is usually lyrical. And all writers speak from, and speak to, emotions eternally the same in all of us: love, pity, terror do not show favorites or leave any of us out.

Time is anonymous; when we give it a face, it's the same face the world over.

A sheltered life can be a daring life as well. For all serious daring starts from within.

Never think you've seen the last of anything.

What we know about writing the novel is the novel.

The novelist works neither to correct nor to condone, not at all to comfort, but to make what's told alive.