“It's very liberating for me to realize that I don't have to step up to...” — Jonathan Franzen Quote

“It's very liberating for me to realize that I don't have to step up to the plate with a plot that involves the U.N. Security Council.”

“I don't dislike people; I love people.”

“But as far as being popular, yeah, I think Dave Barry is really funny.”

“I grew up on a council estate.”

“I was born in Africa but brought up in the north-east of England. Most of my childhood was spent living on a council estate that overlooked the Tyne and I went to the same junior school as Paul Gascoigne, of whom I have a vague memory.”

“The international community unfortunately did take sides in Libya, and we would never allow the Security Council to authorise anything similar to what happened in Libya.”