Not every novel that wants to be a tragedy gets to be one.

There is something I have noticed about desire, that it opens the eyes and strikes them blind at the same time.

Another thing I learned is that novels, even those from apparently distant times and places, remain current and enlightening, and also comforting.

Candy is my fuel. Ice cream, too.

Is human nature basically good or evil? No economist can embark upon his profession without considering this question, and yet they all seem to. And they all seem to think human nature is basically good, or they wouldn't be surprised by the effects of deregulation.

Because your goal is a complete rough draft of a novel, and every rough draft, by being complete, is perfect.

I suspected that there were things he knew that I had been waiting all my life to learn.