More than anything, it's a game of innocence. Politicians may come and go, but they always get booed at the ballpark.

In the end, the only thing the true New Yorker knows about New York is that it is unknowable.

The culture of drink endures because it offers so many rewards: confidence for the shy, clarity for the uncertain, solace to the wounded and lonely, and above all, the elusive promises of friendship and love.

For those without money, the road to the treasure house of the imagination begins at the public library.

Writing is the hardest work in the world not involving heavy lifting.

The library is a place where most of the things I came to value as an adult had their beginnings.

It's odd being an American now. Most of us are peaceful, but here we are again, in our fifth major war of this century.