She is stunned that in this town there are no sidewalks to speak of, no streetlights, no public transportation, no stores for miles at at a time.

Gogol is unaccustomed to this sort of talk at mealtimes, to the indulgent ritual of the lingering meal, and the pleasant aftermath of bottles and crumbs and empty glasses that clutter the table.

With children the clock is reset. We forget what came before

Pack a pillow and blanket and see as much of the world as you can.You will not regret it.

...that in spite of living in a mansion an American is not above wearing a pair of secondhand pants, bought for fifty cents.

I've seen novels that have grown out of one story in a collection. But it hasn't occurred to me to take any of those stories and build on them. They seem very finished for me, so I don't feel like going back and dredging them up.

Fiction is the only way I know a human being can inhabit the mind of another human being.