The fact is that the same sequence of days can arrange themselves into a number of different stories.

Novelists never have to footnote.

With any novel that you begin, you can't foresee how difficult or easy it's going to be, and you can't really prepare yourself. You just have a take it one step at a time and know that it's all right to keep going - you can always fix it.

Giving his lecture for the third time freed Dr. Lionel Gift from paying much attention to it. He had a naturally expressive style of delivery, hones over the years in elementary-econ lecture halls. He knew, without even thinking, to address the middle rows of the hall, but to occasionally "shoot" the listeners in the back corners. He knew how to make eye contact and solicit the attention of those who were thinking of other things.

Like most of the educated, I do harbor a fondness for the sins of my ignorant past.

People are quite frequently eccentric.

Respect and fear are two different things.