A writer, I think, is someone who pays attention to the world. That means trying to understand, take in, connect with, what wickedness human beings are capable of; and not be corrupted - made cynical, superficial - by this understanding.

The only ideals allowed are healthy ones - those everyone may aspire to, or comfortably imagine oneself possessing.

Do stuff. Be clenched, curious. Not waiting for inspiration's shove or society's kiss on your forehead.

What I really wanted was every kind of life, and the writer’s life seemed the most inclusive.

The painter constructs, the photographer discloses.

Never worry about being obsessive. I like obsessive people. Obsessive people make great art

The ratio of authentic literature to trash in pornography may be somewhat lower than the ratio of novels of genuine literary meritto the entire volume of sub-literary fiction produced for mass taste. But it is probably not lower than, for instance, that of another somewhat shady sub-genre with a few first-rate books to its credit, science fiction.