Literature is by definition opinionated. It is bound to provoke the arguments in many quarters, not excluding the hometown or even the family of the author.

Now, the engineers and managers believe with all their hearts the glorious things their forebears hired people to say about them. Yesterday's snow job becomes today's sermon.

We're terrible animals. I think that the Earth's immune system is trying to get rid of us, as well it should.

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.

I am an atheist (or at best a Unitarian who winds up in church quite a lot).

So let's give another big tax cut to the super-rich. That'll teach bin Laden a lesson he won't soon forget.

Humor is a way of holding off how awful life can be, to protect yourself.