In the evening of the first day my father conducted us to the public baths.

If education, culture, the higher life were shining things to be worshiped from afar, he had still a means left whereby he could draw one step nearer to them.

The first meal was an object lesson of much variety. My father produced several kinds of food, ready to eat, without any cooking, from little tin cans that had printing all over them.

One positive command he gave us: You shall love and honor your emperor. In every congregation a prayer must be said for the czar's health, or the chief of police would close the synagogue.

Short stories are wonderful and extremely challenging, and the joy of them, because it only takes me three or four months to write, I can take more risks with them. It's just less of your life invested.

Sometimes people just need to be heard. They find happiness in sharing their thoughts.

Shared joy is increased, shared pain is lessened.

I was very good friends with Ian Curtis from Joy Division. In fact, I was the last person he spoke with before he died.