I think in general there's no point in going into a field like English literature if you're not going to have fun with it.

I suppose everybody does get attached to characters whether in movies or in stories, but I think that's part of the reason you get involved with literature is because there's somebody that grabs you about it and then you want to figure out why.

One of the functions of literary criticism, or reviewing, generally - and I, most of my reviews actually are not about literature - but one of the functions of that is basically the sort of Consumer Reports function of letting readers know whether this is something they want to read.

Obviously input is helpful to faculty in trying to come up with a curriculum, but ultimately it's the faculty's job to know what students need to know. Make a decision about it and present it.

It's very hard to know who your readers are, but that's who I'm... if I have somebody in my head, that's probably who it is.

Quotable quotes are coins rubbed smooth by circulation.

I don't really usually push an agenda, and I don't feel that my main job is to persuade people of something. My main job is to help them think about something.