(and Catholics give out forgiveness at about the same rate as politicians give out promises and whores give out)

Novels and stories are sometimes very complex staging grounds to say, in fact, very simple things. Things impossible to say otherwise because they are repeated in so many exploitative contexts - adverts and TV shows and political speeches.

'A reality shaped around your own desires' - there is something sociopathic in that ambition.

When I was young, I was very technical about these things. I didn't like to admit to any intimate relation with what I was writing.

I know a lot of people who read and think: "George [Saunders] is so much fun." There's no denying you're fun to read, but as a writer I think of [George Saunders] as, in fact, not a fun and freewheeling type but really an obsessive control artist.

I'm very attracted to exile literature - particularly Nabokov - exactly because the idea of being away from home for any serious length of time is so inconceivable to me.

When the male organ of a man stands erect, two thirds of his intelect go away. And one third of his religion.