My mother had no end of tragedy in her life. She would make herself get up and take a deep breath and go out and do laundry. Hang up sheets.

One thing I like about getting older is things, your spectrum widens, your capacity for compassion widens.

The people have the power to redeem the work of fools. Upon the meek the graces shower, it's decreed the people rule.

I have abandoned so many projects but in the '80s when I left public life to be married and have real children - I love my children and I would never sacrifice them for anything - I had to find a way to simultaneously be a mother and wife and fulfill my duties and still be true to myself as a writer.

I want to keep my life as unfettered as possible. So maybe I'll just pretend to get rare books from my catalogue, and not really get them.

I have loved books all my life. There is nothing more beautiful in our material world than the book.

The thing I've always liked about performing is that I decide what I want to wear, whether I want to comb my hair.