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Russia itself is an extremely complex country, and sometimes I feel like all of that comes back to haunt me. I can see why so many Russian writers were so tortured.

From being a patriotic myth, the Russian people have become an awful reality.

The Russian people get so insanely close to each other as friends. Their lives are interrelated so much on an everyday basis.

Much that we read of Russia is imagination and desire only.

In the Russian experience, although the Russian state is oppressive, it is their state, it is part of their fabric, and so the relation between Russian citizens and their state is complicated.

In the post war period I began again to have my doubts about Russian policy.

The great drama of Russian history has been between its state and society. Put simply, Russia has always had too much state and not enough society.

I don't feel any connection to Russia.

I had studied Russian in college. I had gotten into it first through literature and then just really found it kind of fascinating; of course, this was during the Cold War. So they were kind of the other great enemy that you grew up hearing about.