I am led to the proposition that there is no fiction or nonfiction as we commonly understand the distinction: there is only narrative.

Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.

All secrets become deep. All secrets become dark. That's in the nature of secrets.

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon.

When in trouble or in doubt, run in circles, scream and shout.

Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.

Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time-rich and cash-poor.

I am often asked the question How can the masses permit themselves to be exploited by the few. The answer is By being persuaded to identify with them.

The three most important documents a free society gives are a birth certificate, a passport, and a library card.

Writers are not just people who sit down and write. They hazard themselves. Every time you compose a book your composition of yourself is at stake.

Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia.

If seeds despaired in their darkest hours, they would never rise to enjoy their brightest days.

An angry man opens his mouth and shuts up his eyes.

But the Congress has made the determination that certain kinds of information can be protected even though the American people may want to have access to information.

Find your center and stay there.

I have throughout been curious about how much we can be said to know and with what degree of certainty or doubtfulness.

Ian McEwan is a very good writer; the first half of Atonement alone would ensure him a lasting place in English letters.

I paid my bill. Let me speak to your supervisor!

Femi Fani Kayode is my boy. Provide him food, he will eat and then sing for you. He’s a smart boy

The golden moment when I’m not yet awake enough to remember that there are things I would rather forget.

The worse we treat people in this country, the more delicately we talk about them.