The Truth Came Slowly Like A Story

I Taught Writing Classes At The University Of Pennsylvania For A Number Of Years And I Realized That All You Can Do Is Encourage People And Give Them Assignments And Hope They Will Write Them.

When There's A Terrible Murder People Who Are Interviewed Say, 'this Has Always Been A Quiet Neighborhood.' That Is So Dumb And Uninformed! The Earth Is Not A Quiet Neighborhood. There Isn't Anyplace That's A Quiet Neighborhood. People Are Asking Themselves How To Stay Neat In The Cyclone.

It Was Hard To Reassure Grown-ups When You Weren't Certain Yourself What You Were Feeling And Thinking—when Thoughts Dissolved Before You Could Name Them.

I Don't Know What Makes A Writer's Voice. It's Dozens Of Things. There Are People Who Write Who Don't Have It. They're Tone-deaf, Even Though They're Very Fluent. It's An Ability, Like Anything Else, Being A Doctor Or A Veterinarian, Or A Musician.

To Be Human Is To Be In A Story.