You can't state difference and also state equality. We have to state sameness to understand equality.

English fiction was something I loved growing up, and it changed my life - it changed the trajectory of my life.

I cannot believe homosexuality is that much fun. Heterosexuality certainly is not.

The belief that consciousness extends beyond death is surely to put more belief in the permanence of self, not less. That seems to me a comfort that you're allowing yourself.

To a novelist, fluidity is the ultimate good omen; suddenly difficult problems are simply solved, intractable structural knots loosen themselves, and you come upon the key without even recognizing that this is what you hold.

Sometimes, one wants to have the illusion that one is making ones own life, out of ones own resources.

You don't have favourites among your children, but you do have allies.