One of the last courses I taught was on the Russian short story, which I love.

Time, which is your enemy in almost everything in this life, is your friend in writing.

We are made to persist. that's how we find out who we are.

Fearlessness in those without power is maddening to those who have it.

One of the things that draws writers to writing is that they can get things right that they got wrong in real life by writing about them.

The beauty of a fragment is that it still supports the hope of brilliant completeness.

A piece of writing is a dangerous thing," he said. "It can change your life.

Real maturity is the ability to imagine the humanity of every person as fully as you believe in your own humanity.

Memory is funny. Once you hit a vein the problem is not how to remember but how to control the flow.

Everything has to be pulling weight in a short story for it to be really of the first order.

Most of us dont live lives that lend themselves to novelistic expression, because our lives are so fragmented.

You will have a lot of difficulties in achieving goals if you are indecisive and if you are afraid of incorrect actions

He who serves his brother best gets nearer God than all the rest.

A moral rule is essentially 'advantage-reducing.' It prohibits you doing something you could do that would serve your interests at someone else's expense.

As long as your body is healthy and under control and death is distant, try to save your soul; when death is immanent what can you do?

I've always dreamed to win the Champions League with Real Madrid and we are only one step away to win it

I don't vote party lines. Never have. I vote for the best candidate.

All I ever wanted to do is make people laugh.

The world is very different today than it was in 1968.

Everything I've done is an old Marvel comic in its' own way.

It is not enough to simply "do your best". You must strive for perfection.