To remain alone did not seem to me a terrible fate, no worse than being falsely joined to another person.

Perhaps this is how you know you're doing the thing you're intended to: No matter how slow or how slight your progress, you never feel that it's a waste of time.

Probably I, like a lot of people, became a writer in imitation of or in homage to the books I enjoyed. When you're so captivated by something, you think, could I do that? Hmm, let me try

We all make mistakes, don't we? But if you can't forgive yourself, you'll always be an exile in your own life.

People who think my books are autobiographical, which they're not, credit me with having a much better memory than I do. I do, however, have a powerful imagination

I don't really have special rituals, but I don't try to write fiction unless I have a minimum of a few hours. For me, it takes a while to settle into a mode where I'm truly concentrating

We have to make mistakes, its how we learn compassion for others

I always worried someone would notice me, and then when no one did, I felt lonely.

Obviously the bar is much higher now for a behavior to be scandalous. Social media has really changed the way people live. It's not a new impulse; it's just being enacted in a new way.

I don't think it's shameful to admit that some days your time can be better spent reading than writing.

I have this theory that the likeability question comes up so much more with female characters created by female authors than it does with male characters and male authors

There is no way to take the danger out of human relationships.

American POWs from the last Iraq war, who were held prisoner and tortured by Iraq, are now being prevented by our government from suing the Iraqis who tortured them.

If you can serve everyone who visits you, you must be doing well in business.

Freedom of speech implies the world isn’t defined. It is meaningful when people are allowed to see the world their way.

Interpretation is the evidence of growth and knowledge, the latter through sorrow ? that great teacher.

Now success was like lust, she's good to the touch, She's good for the moment, but she's never enough

I think whatever I've done, I hope I've earned a footnote in India's long and tortuous history.

I tell my mother I went to God in spite of my religious education. I feel that my religious education was inadequate, but that doesn't mean that Judaism was inadequate.

Live the Life you'd be envious of if you saw someone else living it.

Radicals can be found in any environment.