The streets of New York and some wards of its venerable institutions were packed with people who, despite being entirely forsaken, had episodes of glory that made the career of Alexander the Great seem like a day in the life of a file clerk.

I have been fighting over commas all my life.

The shelf was filled with books that were hard to read, that could devastate and remake one's soul, and that, when they were finished, had a kick like a mule.

A good river is nature's life work in song.

It's very painful to be in debt. I'm the kind of person who would rather almost die than go into debt.

I'm sort of murdered for selling books. The idea is, if you make money your work can't be literary.

He could say nothing. He had no right to be there, he had already been profoundly changed, he was no good at small talk, she was half naked, it was dawn and he loved her.