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

When I was 13, I really used to skip down the street, happy in thinking, "Oh, well, someone's suffering pain in order for me to feel this pleasure."

The object of the passion is just an accessory to the passion itself.

I always remind myself that [ Jean-Paul] Sartre and [Simone] de Beauvoir didn't have children. And when you don't have children, it might be easier to believe that the child doesn't come with something.

She loved you in the morning because the day was new.

Make sure the lubricant is unscented. Don't join fashionable 'schools of thought.' Read everything.

English writing tends to fall into two categories - the big, baggy epic novel or the fairly controlled, tidy novel. For a long time, I was a fan of the big, baggy novel, but there's definitely an advantage to having a little bit more control.