Each life is a game of chess that went to hell on the seventh move(...)

At its grandest, political correctness is an attempt to accelerate evolution.

I think all writers have a bit of genius in them, and a bit of talent. Genius retreats but talent improves.

When the past is forgotten, the present is unforgettable

Deciding to write a novel about something - as opposed to finding you are writing a novel around something - sounds to me like a good evocation of writer's block.

Every 10 years you're a different person, and the really great books evolve with you as you get older. They're full of new rewards.

I sometimes feel I'm a sort of cult writer, rather than a mainstream writer, in that those who like my stuff like it a lot, but the appeal is not that broad.