Art is uncompromising, and life is full of compromises.

So I have no grounds to complain; on the contrary, writers should consider the condition of permanent controversiality to be invigorating, part of the risk envolved in choosing the profesión. It is a fact of life that writers have always and with due consideration and great pleasure spit in the soup of the high and mighty. That is what makes the history of literature analogous to the development and refinement of censorship.

As a child I was a great liar. Fortunately my mother liked my lies. I promised her marvelous things.

After the collapse of socialism, capitalism remained without a rival. This unusual situation unleashed its greedy and - above all - its suicidal power. The belief is now that everything - and everyone - is fair game.

Students who don't want to get anywhere are sure to get somewhere.

And when the sun goes down and the mood comes upon me, I'll watch the play of the colors on the water, yield to the fleetly dissolving images, and turn into pure feeling, all soft and nice.

I belonged to the generation that grew up under National Socialism, and was blinded and led astray - and allowed itself to be led astray.