I, alas, must present myself somewhat ignominiously as a chef in a busy kitchen. Somewhere a novel is bubbling on a back burner, an old attempt at history may come out of the freezer.

Every American election summons the individual voter to weigh the past against the future.

The best time to listen to a politician is when he's on a stump on a street corner in the rain late at night when he's exhausted. Then he doesn't lie.

I, alas, must present myself somewhat ignominiously as a chef in a busy kitchen. Somewhere a novel is bubbling on a back burner, an old attempt at history may come out of the freezer.

Quality in a classical Greek sense is how to live with grace and intelligence, with bravery and mercy.

I class myself as a manual laborer.

Closeness to power heightens the dignity of all men.