It is a capital insult in this country not to make love to a naked woman, even if she is related to you.

The fading light is us, and we are, for a moment so brief (...) beautiful.

I'm the fortieth ugliest man in this bar. But so what! So what!... Isn't this how people used to fall in love?

In contravention of my belief that any life ending in death is essentially pointless, I needed my friends to open up that plastic bag and take one last look at me. Someone had to remember me, if only for a few more minutes in the vast silent waiting room of time.

Every returning New Yorker asks the question: Is this still my city? I have a ready answer, cloaked in obstinate despair: It is. And if it's not, I will love it all the more. I will love it to the point where it becomes mine again.

Don't be pretentious is my first advice to young writers. This is the big problem - just because you're getting an MFA doesn't mean you have to write for the Academy. Be true to your personality. Don't temper your personality down with words. Don't build defensive fortresses around yourself with words - words are your friends.

My first book really did change my life. It allowed me to fully express myself. There was a sense that I was worth something as an artist.