You don't that often see writers being sought out when there are matters of great moment to discuss. And I think that's a loss.

Language upon a silvered tongue affords enchantment enough.

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

Madame Bovary and a flying carpet, they are both untrue in the same way. Somebody made them up.

The gamble of literature is that I make the best work I can; the most truthful, the most representative of how I see things. I try and do that and then I put it out there and say to you, "What do you think?" I hope that you think well of it, obviously.

Literature is the one place in any society where, within the secrecy of our own heads, we can hear voices talking about everythingin every possible way. The reason for ensuring that that privileged arena is preserved is not that writers want the absolute freedom to say and do whatever they please. It is that we, all of us, readers and writers and citizens and generals and goodmen, need that little, unimportant-looking room. We do not need to call it sacred, but we do need to remember that it is necessary.

You can't judge an internal injury by the size of the hole.