Eavesdrop and write it down from memory - gives you a stronger sense of how people talk and what their concerns are. I love to eavesdrop!

you know that the urge for revenge is a fact of marital life.

Sinclair Lewis may be ripe for a revival; his books raise several interesting issues of art and fashion.

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

We sort of read two or three big newspapers but we don't get the flavor of the local events, the local news as much.

One of the things that Ivar knew about Mrs. Walker was that she would only tell him what she knew if he asked the right question, so he spent a portion of his time meditating over what he might ask Mrs. Walker and how he might phrase the question.

Writing novels is an essentially amateur activity.