Hindsight, usually looked down upon, is probably as valuable as foresight, since it does include a few facts.

Sometimes you find that what is most personal is also what connects you most strongly with others.

A lot of sad things have happened to my friends' children, people you knew as babies. They've been killed or become crazy or all kinds of tragic things. There are some people whose children haven't talked to them in fifteen years. There's all kind of meshugaas in this world.

Paul Goodman was not ahead of his time but IN his time.

My family were Russian Jews. They got you to read as soon as you could. And then assumed you would read a lot. People didn't really tell stories but they were good talkers. That's important for a writer, to hear speakers.

If I miss anything, it's being able to hang out in the city of New York meeting people and talking to them on the corner.

The women's movement was coming, but I didn't know it in 1956-1957, when I began to write.