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.

I don't think there really is much of a left in America, certainly by European standards even the left is quite right wing here.

The Chinese are good at repression and can be pretty ruthless about it.

Unfortunately, the problem of the free speech argument is that you have to defend people you can't stand.

So India’s problem turns out to be the world’s problem. What happened in India has happened in God’s name. The problem’s name is God.

Terror is glamour - not only, but also. I am firmly convinced that there's something like a fascination with death among suicide bombers.

Once you have been in an earthquake you know, even if you survive without a scratch, that like a stroke in the heart, it remains in the earth's breast, horribly potential, always promising to return, to hit you again, with an even more devastating force.