One of the things a writer is for is to say the unsayable, speak the unspeakable and ask difficult questions.

There is no such thing as perfect security, only varying levels of insecurity.

Vulnerability of artists is definitely what makes organizations like PEN necessary because, as I tried to argue, the actual work that writers and artists do has an ornery way of surviving. Particularly in this age of the internet, it is very easy for forbidden work to be found online somewhere if you know where to look. Artists themselves, however, are in increasing danger, and not just artists. The great concern is that year after year, rising numbers of journalists are being killed in pursuit of their work.

We are the only animals that tell stories to understand the world we live in.

Once you put a thought into the world, it can be disagreed with, but it can't be unthought.

One of the characteristics of mudslinging is that mud sticks if it's thrown with enough force for long enough.

My grandmother was very fierce and gruff. She was quite small, but she was very wide.