My characters never die screaming in rage. They attempt to pull themselves back together and go on. And that's basically a conservative view of life.
Jane SmileyThe fact is that the same sequence of days can arrange themselves into a number of different stories.
Jane SmileyVets do what doctors used to - diagnose the injury or the condition, patch it up as best they can and remind you that these things happen and that in life we are also in the midst of death.
Jane SmileyI 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.
Jane SmileyYou cannot be an egomaniac on the horse. If you lose your temper and start beating him, either you will destroy him, or he will destroy you. As soon as you start riding horses seriously, you're being disciplined on a daily basis about how ignorant you are and what there is left for you to learn.
Jane Smiley