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I'm a great admirer of Primo Levi's work. It's always mind-boggling, the idea of how much pain people can endure and still come back from the edge with a sense of humor, with this tremendous animal desire we have to get on with life.

There are so many good authors; there's no shortage of them.

I am becoming increasingly difficult to please as a reader, but I adore being surprised by a really wonderful book, written by someone I've never heard of before.

David Mamet's writing is pretty spectacular, obviously. I like the honesty of it; I like how funny it is and how sad it is.

I work really hard at these books, and when colleagues write nasty reviews of them, I take it very personally.

I never knew a writer yet who took the smallest pains with his style and was at the same time readable.

There's only one common element that united every writer I've admired... they're all incredibly well-read.

I've had a lot of very positive feedback about those stories, and seem to have struck upon something that most people feel. I can also tap dance, and don't know many other authors who can.

I just finished writing an essay about William Maxwell, an American writer whose work I admire very much.

Every author in some way portrays himself in his works, even if it be against his will.