“When you leave New York, you are astonished at how clean the rest of the world is. Clean is not enough.”

“The best fame is a writer's fame. It's enough to get a table at a good restaurant, but not enough to get you interrupted when you eat.”

“As a teenager you are at the last stage in your life when you will be happy to hear that the phone is for you.”

“Life is something you do when you can’t get to sleep.”

“Life is something that happens when you can't get to sleep.”

“When Toni Morrison said 'write the book you want to read,' she didn't mean everybody.”

“Presently it appears that people are mainly concerned with being well rested. Those capable of uninterrupted sleep are much admired. Unconsciousness is in great demand. This is the day of the milligram.The rigors of learning how to do long division have been a traditional part of childhood, just like learning to smoke. In fact, as far as I am concerned, the two go hand in hand. Any child who cannot do long division by himself does not deserve to smoke. ”