“Writing is the only art form where a good number of the artists make a slice of their living criticizing one another in print, in public. ”

“Reading was a joy, a desperately needed escape -- I didn't read to learn, I was reading to read.”

“Literature simply becomes richer after you've been fired, rejected, stranded, or had to change a few midnight diapers.”

“I write for the same reason I read: because it's all there is for me.”

“Sometimes two people have to fall apart, to realize how much they need to fall back together.”

“Good literature is one key to peace. When we stop reading each other, when we stop paying attention to each other's words and stories, we too easily oppose one another.”

“There is only one motive for writing a novel: to be published and read. To me there is no distinction between the mystery novel and the novel, only between good books and bad books. A good book tak...”