Quotes About Literature

Will Shatner, Jonathan Frakes of Star Trek have already put novels out.

I've always read a lot of sci-fi. When my son was younger, I actually went to a 'Star Trek' convention.

'Star Trek' is notorious for looting the more thoughtful work of writers for their striking effects, leaving behind most of the thought and subtlety.

The society Shakespeare knew was heading for tremendous change, and he seems to have recognized that and written about it in a coded way. I understand those codes, I think.

Philip Roth is a fabulous writer, but he pretty much stays within his own life. He's so good - I mean, practically anything I've ever read of his I've really enjoyed. He just has tremendous talent. But I think he should have given himself a break and gone deeper into the society.

I still think reading something like 'Ulysses' takes a tremendous investment of time, but it repays all of it with so much interest.

It's such a thrill when an adult comes up to me and says, 'I read your book as a child and really loved it.' That's a tremendous compliment.

Shakespeare is so fundamental to the way we see story. A tremendous amount of narratives come from him - more than many authors are aware, I think.

I'm very impressed by the imagery in the 'Apologia', which is a kind of sustained poem. It's not just a piece of apologetics of the sort you find in Jesuit literature: 'Why I came over', and so on. It's a tremendously rewarding book but requires perseverance on the part of the reader.

In non-fiction, I found John Gardner's two writing books to be tremendously helpful.

I detest this contemporary trend to destroy the traditional hierarchy of genres.

I'm a failed poet. Reading poetry helps me to see the world differently, and I try to infuse my prose with figurative language, which goes against the trend in fiction.

I would ask: Given the nature of free-market capitalism - where the rule is to rise to the top at all costs - is it possible to have a financial industry hero? And by the way, this is not a pop-culture trend we're talking about. There aren't many financial heroes in literature, theater or cinema.

Dorothy L. Sayers is absolutely my favorite The reason she stands above Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, and Margery Allingham is because she was so subtly aware of the lot and trials of women of her decade.

There are other writers who try for subtle and minimalists effects, but I don't travel in that tribe.

I don't think of gay writers. I mean if you were to say to me who are the straight writers, well, you wouldn't ask me that question. So for me to identify a little tribe of gay writers, I don't know.

I pay lots of homages. I wanted to pay tribute to a leading Iranian writer, Gholam - Hossein Sa'edi, who is buried in Paris - he is an Iranian Arthur Miller. He is of a similar stature, and his work is similar to that of Arthur Miller.

May I have a few friends and many books - both true.

Oh, Sweetie. No one ever gets through their TBR list. For every book you finish, you'll add five more. That's just the way it works.

If you want to consume the cream of Christ's philosophy, then don't read the Bible, read Tolstoy.

How can I survive without a book to read?

Without reading many different books, you can never leave the port of ignorance and can never obtain the peaceful mind of knowing the truth!

I read nonfiction for information, fiction for truth.

I've always thought it nonsense to believe something true simply because it was written in a book long ago.