Literature is not only a mirror; it is a map, a geography of the mind.

Is anything wrong, dear? the old joke went. No, why? You moved. Just don't move.

A truth should exist, it should not be used like this. If I love you is that a fact or a weapon?

When we're young, we like happy endings. When we're a little older, we think happy endings are unrealistic and so we prefer bad but credible endings. When we're older still, we realize happy endings aren't so bad after all.

If I waited for perfection... I would never write a word.

Storytelling is a very old human skill that gives us an evolutionary advantage. If you can tell young people how you kill an emu, acted out in song or dance, or that Uncle George was eaten by a croc over there, don't go there to swim, then those young people don't have to find out by trial and error.

The best way of being kind to bears is not to be very close to them.