My understanding of kindness is that we are hoping to be truly beneficial in every situation, and that this desire means a whole suite of things: being nicer, sure, but also being more aware, more present, more articulate, more fearless, less habituated, etc., etc. And sometimes even being firm, or having an edge, or even being angry.

In fact unrestrained capitalism is quite cruel and the cost is on the individual human, on his or her grace.

If you're going to make an emotional connection with somebody, whether it's in the story or in the world, there's a certain amount of self-acceptance that is required.

Chekhov - shall I be blunt? - is the greatest short story writer who ever lived.

What a powerful thing to know: That one's own desires are mappable onto strangers; that what one finds in oneself will most certainly be found in The Other.

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

In fiction, conceptualizing, I've found, produces dull and over-controlled text.