When I fly, I'm never afraid the plane is going to crash. But there have often been times when I was afraid it wouldn't crash. I was just afraid it was going to circle O'Hare for the rest of my life.

In the Soviet Union, capitalism triumphed over communism. In this country, capitalism triumphed over democracy.

Perhaps the least cheering statement ever made on the subject of art is that life imitates it.

Nothing lasts. So it's my belief, yes, I know a lot of the things that we liked didn't last, but maybe things we don't like, they're also not going to last. There has been progress in my lifetime. There are certainly things that are better than when I was young, and there are things that are worse. New York City, it's worse. There's no question.

To lose yourself in a book is the desire of the bookworm. I mean to be taken. That is my desire.

When I was a kid, the people of my generation didn't want to be writers, they wanted to be rock stars. Rock and roll was not just entertainment, it was the center of people's lives. When I was young, it was exciting and interesting.

Life is something to do when you can't get to sleep.