Be scrupulously truthful, even when truth is inconvenient, for it is more inconvenient when you try to conceal it.

What's terrible is to pretend that second-rate is first-rate. To pretend that you don't need love when you do; or you like your work when you know quite well you're capable of better.

我是个失败的诗人。也许每个小说家最初都想写诗，发现自己做不到后尝试短篇小说——那是仅次于诗歌要求最高的形式。连这个也失败了，他才会转向长篇小说。