If you actually want to change your world, there is a better way of doing it than blowing yourself up.

What I've always seen in writers and artists is the courage it takes to make an original work of art. I think the real risks in literature are linguistic and intellectual, and I hope we can highlight those, as well as political courage.

Can one drown in one's element... If fish can drown in water, can human beings suffocate in air?

faith without doubt is addiction

You can't assume if you do something contentious that people will be on your side. The moment violence enters the story, the story changes. Then the question is, "How do you face up to violence?" And then you have to have a no-compromise position. And this is quite simply a lesson we learn in the school playground.

I don't feel American. I do feel like a New Yorker. I think there's a real distinction there. A city allows you to become a citizen even when you're not a national.

I remember when I was young, many cities in the Muslim world were cosmopolitan cities with a lot of culture.