Every child needs to have for itself not only its loving parents and siblings and friends of its own age, but a grown-up friend.

I was brought up Irish, where there was room for my own private world.

My father died when I was 7. I was his favorite child, and he was my beloved father. I brought him along with me all through my life. Every elderly man has a bit of my father in him for me.

Growing up, mostly in Montreal, I was an only child of loving parents.

I cannot summon up inspiration; I myself am summoned.

'Friend Monkey' is really my favorite of all my books because the Hindu myth on which it is based is my favorite - the myth of the Monkey Lord who loved so much that he created chaos wherever he went.