False values begin with the worship of things.

Strictly speaking, it is doubtful that a photograph can help us understand anything.

What I expect from writers-and from myself as a writer-is to articulate a complex view of things. To incite us to be more compassionate. To orchestrate our mourning. And to celebrate ecstasy.

This is the beauty that emerges from self-confidence, class confidence. That says, I am not born to please. I am born to be pleased.

One cannot use the life to interpret the work. But One can use the work to interpret the life.

All understanding begins with our not accepting the world as it appears.

Enemies are somewhere else, as the fighting is almost always “over there,” with Islamic fundamentalism now replacing Russian and Chinese communism as the implacable, furtive menace. And “terrorist” is a more flexible word than “communist.” It can unify a larger number of quite different struggles and interests. What this may mean is that the war will be endless---since there will always be some terrorism.