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

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.

You should celebrate the end of a love affair as they celebrate death in New Orleans, with songs, laughter, dancing and a lot of wine.

No one, but no one, ever behaves 'well' in bed unless they love or are loved - two conditions seldom fulfilled.

If you treat life well, life is usually good to you. And I love life. There's a long-standing affair between us.

Usually I avoided college students, whom I considered brutal, wrapped up in themselves, particularly in their youth, in which they found material for drama or an excuse for their own boredom. I did not care for young people.

The happiness of people who are in love and who are loved shows in their faces. They have an expression that's at once very far away and very much part of the present.