As for critical writing about modernism, its moments of lucidity are but fulgurations illuminating the dark and incomprehensible landscape of its subject's unabashed difficulty.

In truth, even if they have an imperfect insight into their own methods, I still slightly mistrust writers of fiction who are assured literary critics; it makes me suspect that they favour the word over the world it should describe. Such scribes fall victim too easily to the solecism of equating style with morality.

My novels tend to come about from a fusion of two big ideas, creating a critical mass that then fissions, throwing off hundreds of other particles, riffs, tropes and characters.

Certainly, for time out of mind, an obsessive dwelling on happier former days has been synonymous with getting older, while it was the juvenescent who rushed with open arms to embrace the future.

The single most important thing that sports fans want is competition building to a meaningful championship.

Joy comes from places you least expect it. It's usually the simple things, like watching my son play basketball or going through Central Park when the blossoms are blooming.

I'm a little worried because I've heard that Shaq has got, like, really fat. If he's going to go into WrestleMania bigger than me, I'm going to lose my moniker as 'The World's Largest Athlete.' I hope he is well. I hope he is healthy.

I'm 33 years old; I'm getting old. Every year is different, and as an athlete, you've got to be honest with yourself.