There are ways in which art can have a longer reach than politics.

come back, come back to me

When people have supernatural beliefs I think they should be respected but there is no reason why they need to impose them on others.

What reader wants to be told what attitude to strike?

He never believed in fate or providence, or the future being made by someone in the sky. Instead, at every instant, a trillion trillion possible futures; the pickiness of pure chance and physical laws seemed like freedom from the scheming of a gloomy god.

Reading groups, readings, breakdowns of book sales all tell the same story: when women stop reading, the novel will be dead.

My biggest fear, I think falling from a great height. If I want to keep myself awake at night I imagine I'm on the top of the North or South Tower in 9/11, wondering whether I'm going to be burnt to death or I'm going to jump. And I think I would burn to death. And yet I'm impressed by the fact that hundreds didn't.