“Write about small, self-contained incidents that are still vivid in your memory. If you remember them, it's because they contain a larger truth that your readers will recognize in their own lives. Think small and you'll wind up finding the big themes in your family saga. ”

“As a writer you must keep a tight rein on your subjective self—the traveler touched by new sights and sounds and smells—and keep an objective eye on the reader.”

“Examine every word you put on paper. You'll find a surprising number that don't serve any purpose.”

“Be true to yourself and to the culture you were born into. Tell your story as only you can.”

“Writing is thinking on paper”

“I almost always urge people to write in the first person. Writing is an act of ego and you might as well admit it.”

“Today the outlandish becomes routine overnight. The humorist is trying to say that it's still outlandish.”