My favorite word is 'pumpkin.' You can't take it seriously. But you can't ignore it, either. It takes ahold of your head and that's it. You are a pumpkin. Or you are not. I am.

Life within the Kremlin was shrouded in impenetrable secrecy.

There is no shortcut to life. To the end of our days, life is a lesson imperfectly learned.

Why can't a state that launches cosmonauts into space provide enough eggs and milk for its city children during the winter months?

The clash between the aspirations of the people for a better life and the insistence of their rulers on building a powerful state, regardless of human sacrifice, runs through the whole of Russian history

I think it's important to travel around in order to get a notion of what's going on, to find out what people are think about. I enjoy talking on campuses most because people are more informed and discussion is generally livelier.

By the way, I understand that now you can have the Times delivered to your door here in the Twin Cities.