When you can state the theme of a story, when you can separate it from the story itself, then you can be sure the story is not a very good one.

I write any sort of rubbish which will cover the main outlines of the story, then I can begin to see it.

There are some of us who have to pay for our faith every step of the way and who have to work out dramatically what it would be like without it and if being without it would be ultimately possible or not.

So many people can now write competent stories that the short story is in danger of dying of competence.

All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and the change is painful.

I use the grotesque the way I do because people are deaf and dumb and need help to see and hear.

You can't clobber any reader while he's looking. You divert his attention, then you clobber him and he never knows what hit him.