“I once wrote, in The Information, that an Englishman wouldn't bother to attend a reading even if the author in question was his favorite living writer, and also his long-lost brother — even if the reading was taking place next door.”

“Even crushed against his brother in the Tube the average Englishman pretends desperately that he is alone.”

“I read once that the true mark of a pro — at anything — is that he understands, loves, and is good at even the drudgery of his profession.”

“After the writer’s death, reading his journal is like receiving a long letter.”

“Nico drew his sword. His smile was even more unsettling than his scowl.

"Underground," he said. "My favorite place."

Underground wasJason's favorite place.”

“Reading is a private pursuit; one that takes place behind closed doors.”

“When people read his books they have an uncontrollable desire to hang the author in the town square. I can’t think of a higher honor for a writer.”

“It is in the translation that the innocence lost after the first reading is restored under another guise, since the reader is once again faced with a new text and its attendant mystery. That is the inescapable paradox of translation, and also its wealth.”

“Good writing has an aliveness that keeps the reader reading from one paragraph to the next, and it's not a question of gimmicks to "personalize" the author.”

“No doubt the artist is the child of his time; but woe to him if he is also its disciple, or even its favorite.”