As far as I can recall, the initial shiver of inspiration was somehow prompted by a newspaper story about an ape in the Jardin des Plantes who, after months of coaxing by a scientist, produced the first drawing ever charcoaled by an animal: this sketch showed the bars of the poor creature's cage.

After Olympia Press, in Paris, published the book, an American critic suggested that Lolita was the record of my love affair with the romantic novel. The subst…

I was the shadow of the waxwing slain by the false azure in the windowpane;

Oh, my Lolita, I have only words to play with!

The best thing about writing fiction is that moment where the story catches fire and comes to life on the page, and suddenly it all makes sense and you know wh…

The pennycandystore beyond the El is where I first fell in love with unreality

Come then, expressive silence, muse His praise.