People are constantly telling me, whether they are friends who feel sorry for me, because I can't find a place to live, or real estate agents, "You can't afford an apartment the size you need with this many books. Why don't you just put some of your books in storage?" And I always say the same thing: "What if I told you I had four children? Would you say, 'You just can't afford to house four children. Why don't you just put two of them in storage?'" That's how I feel.

I am a New Yorker. I like New York. And I like cities. And it's not my desire to make New York more suburban. I would personally just like to vet each person.

My dream writing room would be the Imperial Library in Vienna.

No one earns $100 million. You steal $100 million.

By the time everyone catches up with you, you're bored.

Never judge a cover by its book.

When Toni Morrison said 'write the book you want to read,' she didn't mean everybody.