A pier is a disappointed bridge; yet stare at it for long enough and you can dream it to the other side of the Channel.

Often the grind of book promotion wearies you of your own book - though at the same time this frees you from its clutches.

Do not imagine that Art is something which is designed to give gentle uplift and self-confidence . Art is not a brassiere. At least, not in the English sense. But do not forget that brassiere is the French word for life-jacket.

Had my life increased, or merely added to itself? There had been addition and subtraction in my life, but how much multiplication?

What you end up remembering isn't always the same as what you have witnessed.

Later on in life, you expect a bit of rest, don't you? You think you deserve it. I did, anyway. But then you begin to understand that the reward of merit is not life's business.

The ways in which a book, once read, stays (and changes) in the reader's mind are unpredictable.