Traitors who prevail are patriots; usurpers who succeed are divine emperors.

The critics are like tourists who return from a trip saying they've "done" Machu Picchu: "Okay, we've done magical realism," so now we can throw it out.

I think the Chinese will say the hell with you and pull their money out of the United States. That's the end of our wars.

We've had parallel lives. And frankly, I prefer mine to his. I would not like to be George Bush.

To a man, ornithologists are tall, slender, and bearded so that they can stand motionless for hours, imitating kindly trees, as they watch for birds.

A writer represents his family history. My grandfather was a senator and my father served in the Roosevelt administration. In other words, I grew up in politics. This is why it seemed perfectly natural to take part in the battles of my time, and to participate in the writing of the history of my country.

Since nothing is free, to each his price.