Every act of loving affirms the goodness of the lover just because he is capable of loving and being loved.

Writing a story, you understand, is not done by consensus. But we do learn from each other, and we remind ourselves how important this work we're doing is.

Fiction begins with the senses, and the senses go to work in a place.

Love is always a surprise and you never get it right.

The universe may be tenderly indifferent to our fate, but we shouldn’t be. We are our brothers’ keepers. There is right, and there is wrong. There are consequences to our actions or inactions. Disregard can be an act of violence.

In revision, your imagination becomes deeply engaged with your material. It's when you come to know your characters and begin to perceive their motivations and values.

I learned to love stories by listening to them.