A great artist transforms our world, removes scales from our eyes, plugs from our ears, gloves from our fingertips and teaches us to perceive reality differently.

I really dislike it when people talk about "experimental," because any good writer is experimental.

There is no American history. There is no French history. There is no John Wideman. There are all these dreams that are floating around. People construct them and fight with them and criticize them, and the world goes on. I don't think the stars pay much attention.

I'm still vulnerable and still weak.

I had a deep prejudice against the South. It's taken me many years to get over that, be more open and thoughtful.

I'm not a fearful person, but I'm a pretty pessimistic person. So some of my best times are waiting, anticipating. That's the way it always has been with me, whether anticipating a ball game, anticipating a relationship.

I believe - what did Faulkner say? "The past is not even past."