Full stories are as rare as honesty.

People profess to have certain political positions, but their conservatism or liberalism is really the least interesting thing about them.

Generally, women can't do this, but men retain the ancient ability to leave a family and a past. They just unhook themselves, like removing a fake beard, and skulk discreetly back into society, changed men. Unrecognizable.

I never attended a creative writing class in my life. I have a horror of them.

Pulchritude--beauty where you would least suspect it, hidden in a word that looked like it should signify a belch or a skin infection.

I wrote 'White Teeth' in the late nineties. I didn't really feel trepidatious about it. It was a different time.

You can feel bad... I mean, that's not illegal.