The past is always knocking at the door, trying to break through into today.

It's always too late for sorries, but I appreciate the sentiment.

So many things to see, people to do.

When the first living thing existed, I was there waiting. When the last living thing dies, my job will be finished. I'll put the chairs on the tables, turn out the lights and lock the universe behind me when I leave.

Anyone who calls you "little lady" has already excluded you from the set of people worth listening to.

Books smell and feel better. They have that wonderful thingness of turning the pages.

When I was a kid and a young man I read everything. When I was about 23, I was incredibly lucky in that I wound up with several book review columns, which meant that I had to read huge amounts of stuff that was outside my experience and outside my comfort zone. I think every young writer should be forced to read the kind of stuff they would not normally read for pleasure.