There is a insularity within American fiction even for adults. It's very tough for books in translation in the US.

Immigration, a lexicon. You're a 'migrant' when you're very poor; 'immigrant' when you're not so poor; and 'expat' when you're rich.

Historical novels, in particular, allow us to relive the past without the neatness of history, and with all the complexity of the present.

In some ways, I think it's the closest that we come to the truth — is in the form of fiction.

The universe had an odd sense of fairness; it took away things one did not want to give up, and then gave things one did not ask for.

A name is precious; it carries inside it a language, a history, a set of traditions, a particular way of looking at the world. Losing it meant losing my ties to all those things too.

Thing that was very different for me is that an American child's reading is filled with Americans.

No one wrote better about the sin of pride, the corruption of power and the redemption of love. I will miss you, Gabriel García Márquez.

There are writers I return to no matter what I'm working on, writers like the South African J.M. Coetzee. He has an ability to make you feel that he is writing for you alone.

I began reading in French. I didn't read in English until high school.

I love James Baldwin essays, but also his novels. I recently read "Another Country." I couldn't believe how ahead of his time he was.

we shall match your capacity to inflict suffering by our capacity to endure suffering. We will meet your physical force with soul force. Do to us what you will. And we shall continue to love you.

Social Security is a promise that we cannot and must not break.

At a certain level, great actors who are successful actors don't have to worry about it. They can just go for it because they believe in themselves.

I love a loose-fitting skirt with a cinched waist. A feminine silhouette is a no-stress zone - it's comfortable and I don't have to worry about wardrobe malfunctions!

The 12-hour workday is not uncommon to anyone anymore.

"What would you do if I kissed you right now?" I stared at his beautiful face and his beautiful mouth and I wanted nothing more than to taste it. "I would kiss you back."

My name may have buoyancy enough to float upon the sea of time.

Katniss, got that spile?" Finnick asks, snapping me back to reality.

So long as all is ordered for attack, and that alone, leaders will instinctively increase the number of enemies that they may give their followers something to do.

Be confident, and just do it. It's all about not questioning what everyone else is thinking, since they're probably looking to others to know what is or isn't cool.