He refused categorically all ideas of fidelity or serious commitments. He explained that they were arbitrary and sterile. From anyone else such views would have shocked me, but I knew that in his case they did not exclude tenderness and devotion - feelings which came all the more easily to him since he was determined that they should be transient.

It isn't common sense that is paramount in this world, it's wishful thinking.

I always believe things are going to work out.

Art must take reality by surprise. It takes those moments which are for us merely a moment, plus a moment, plus another moment, and arbitrarily transforms them into a special series of moments held together by a major emotion.

When you make a decision to write according to a set schedule and really stick to it, you find yourself writing very fast. At least I do.

For me writing is a question of finding a certain rhythm. I compare it to the rhythms of jazz.

Life has confirmed for me the thoughts and impressions I had when I was 18, as if it was all intuition.