The romantic idea is that everybody around a writer must suffer for his talent. I think a writer is a citizen of humanity, part of his nation, part of his family. He may have to make some compromises.

Every novelist has a different purpose-and often several purposes which might even be contradictory.

My views naturally have mellowed. Most of the critics have been more or less nice to me

A writer is a human being. He has to live with a sense of honor.

I've gone on the wagon, but my body doesn't believe it.

I imagine that my characters have become much more complicated than when I first began, which would be normal

Curiously, the United States is full of writers who have one big work in their life and that's all.