It's a rare book that wins the battle against drooping eyelids.

I have consistently loved books that I've read when I've been sick in bed.

The sign of a masterpiece: A painting when there's a lack of resolution.

I find that when I come out of the library I'm in what I call the library bliss of being totally taken away from the distractions of life.

My father was often impatient during March, waiting for winter to end, the cold to ease, the sun to reappear. March was an unpredictable month, when it was never clear what might happen. Warm days raised hopes until ice and grey skies shut over the town again.

I didn't move. I've learned from years of experience that dogs and falcons and ladies come back to you if you stay where you are.

It's those little daily incidents of life that are dramatic, and if you put a frame around it , suddenly they become much bigger and much more important than you ever imagined.