Progressivism is usually seen as a stepping back from individualism into a progressive community...

Your sons weren't made to like you. That's what grandchildren are for.

Novelists never have to footnote.

I had spent years thinking about one thing while I was doing another. I had, in fact, prided myself on being able to do two things at once.

I loved the house the way you would any new house, because it is populated by your future, the family of children who will fill it with noise or chaos and satisfying busy pleasures.

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.

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