As individuals, we are shaped by story from the time of birth; we are formed by what we are told by our parents, our teachers, our intimates.

It is a violation which has obsessed the tyrants of the twentieth century. They do not want simply to kill their opponents, but to liquidate them, to deny that they have ever existed.

As individuals, we are shaped by story from the time of birth; we are formed by what we are told by our parents, our teachers, our intimates.

The human longing for story is so powerful, so primitive, that it seems like something not learned, but locked into our genes.

Once one habit peels away the others follow it. You have to hold on, or the next thing you'll find yourself parading down the street in your nightdress. Habit is everything.

A problem with a piece of writing often clarifies itself if you go for a long walk.

I didn't choose Russia but Russia chose me. I had been fascinated from an early age by the culture, the language, the literature and the history to the place.