We are in love with the word. We are proud of it. The word precedes the formation of the state. The word comes to us from every avatar of early human existence. As writers, we are obliged more than others to keep our lives attached to the primitive power of the word. From India, out of the Vedas, we still hear: On the spoken word, all the gods depend, all beasts and men; in the world live all creatures...The word is the name of the divine world.

Since great writers communicate a vision of existence, one can't borrow their methods. The method is married to the vision.

The greater the power of any subjective state, the more total is a Romantic's assumption that everyone understands exactly what he is about to do, therefore waste not a moment by stopping to tell them.

Being a real writer means being able to do the work on a bad day.

Culture is worth a little risk.

It's not the sentiments of men which make history but their actions.

Giving a camera to Diane Arbus is like putting a live grenade in the hands of a child.