It's not hard to write poorly. But to write something good, it has to be revised.

Ultimately, we measure ourselves against our own ideas of idealism and perfection, and we don't always come very close to them.

The historical Woodrow Wilson suffered from numerous complaints which we might today label as psychosomatic. Yet, Wilson did have a stroke as a relatively young man of 39 and seemed always to be ill. He was 'high-strung' - intensely neurotic - yet a charismatic personality nonetheless.

It's not hard to write poorly. But to write something good, it has to be revised.

Writing is a solitary occupation, and one of its hazards is loneliness. But an advantage of loneliness is privacy, autonomy and freedom.

Very few writers of distinction in fact were outstanding as undergraduates.

My writing is often a way of 'bearing witness' for others who lack the education and the opportunity to tell their own stories, so I hope that my writing won't be affected too much by my personal life.