When a reviewer says that Malamud is second only to Bellow, it means he really isn't thinking about either of them. When he's reading Malamud he's thinking about Bellow, and when he's reading Bellow he's thinking about Roth. This is the essence of the ratings game: distraction. Children play it all the time. 'Is this the biggest bridge in the world?' 'No, it's the third biggest.' 'Oh.' They lose all interest in the bridge.

Carmichael was, like many Americans, a divided soul, part nomad and part homebody, who seemed a little bit at home everywhere, but was probably more so somepla…

People talk about talent as though it were some neutral substance that can be applied to anything. But talent is narrow and only functions with a very few subj…

Mankind has always made too much of its saints and heroes, and how the latter handle the fuss might be called their final test.

It is strange that there should be so little reading in the world, and so much writing. People in general do not willingly read, if they can have any thing els…

Get stewed: Books are a load of crap.

There are certain common privileges of a writer, the benefit whereof, I hope, there will be no reason to doubt; particularly, that where I am not understood, i…