. . .There are moments when time does stop. We must be alert enough to notice such moments . . .

Watch out for people who call themselves religious; make sure you know what they mean - make sure they know what they mean!

What was even more germane was my study of the history of religion. It was one of the few things in school I was fascinated by.

More than a half, maybe as much as two-thirds of my life as a writer is rewriting. I wouldn't say I have a talent that's special. It strikes me that I have an unusual kind of stamina.

The only way you get Americans to notice anything is to tax them or draft them or kill them.

I always know more about the ending, even the aftermath to the ending, than I know about the beginning. And so there's a construction that works from back to front.

It is much easier to be flexible about where a story begins than it ever was for me to change my mind about where and how a story ended.