The great liberty of the fictional writer is to let the imagination out of the traces and see it gallop off over the horizon.

The fictional work is a kind of actor that wears a satirical garb but can put on other costumes as well.

Who'd want to be a modernist writer in the English-speaking world?

It could be argued that every age gets the comfort savagery writer it deserves.

The life of the professional writer - like that of any freelance, whether she be a plumber or a podiatrist - is predicated on willpower. Without it there simply wouldn't be any remuneration, period.

One of the most heartening phenomena in today's Britain is the great diversity of the modern nerd - the nerd is out and proud, and while she may love 'Buffy the Vampire Slayer' merchandise more than is strictly warranted, she is in every way to be cherished as an exemplar of cosmopolitanism and tolerance.