I think the path for a young writer might be one that says, "I have to accept myself, this is what I am. I can't eradicate my defects. I can work on them."

The bottom line for me is that life is short and art is long.

I'm a liberal and I'm left of Gandhi and I don't like Trump.

Based on the experience of my life, which I have not exactly hit out of the park, I tend to agree with that thing about, If it's not broke, don't fix it. And would go even further to: Even if it is broke, leave it alone, you'll probably make it worse.

Even the written history [of Abraham Lincoln's times] is poorly understood by most people.

I have finally realized that, you know, it's not a given that my lifespan will accommodate my writing aspirations.

There might be a different model for a literary community that's quicker, more real-time, and involves more spontaneity.