I certainly think its very important that writers as citizens - not necessarily as writers, but just as ordinary citizens - should talk about things that matter to them.

Of course, the greater one's need, the greater one's propensity to be mesmerized.

To not be able to love the one you love is to have your life wrenched away.

I'm not sure anyone can understand a whole life, even their own.

I don't think anyone should be banned. If you don't like a book, set it aside.

Poetry, I think, intensifies the reader's experience. If it's a humorous facet of the story, poetry makes it more exuberant. If it's a sad facet, poetry can make it more poignant.

For a writer, obsession is a good substitute for self-discipline.