The thematic, psychological, and cultural concerns of a writer are more relevant than whatever literary mode he or she chooses to deal with in any given novel.

The measure of a decent human being is how he or she treats the defenseless.

An artist sees that which does not yet exist. He or she imagines a future others cannot perceive. The artist - and the writer - reshapes reality so that it becomes even more vivid and lasting.

I think what helps me when I'm working on a play, any play, is the degree to which the writer has truly visualized, and then fulfilled, the vision of the world that he or she is creating.

A musician is a professional, whether he or she is successful or not. The profession itself must be regarded as a stable job.

Let no Jew, regardless of their circumstances, feel that he or she cannot experience that unique moment of peace when Shabbat begins.