“I was trying to support a family with writing. I didn't have a private...” — John Updike Quote

“I was trying to support a family with writing. I didn't have a private income. I had no other profession.”

“Bookstores are lonely forts, spilling light onto the sidewalk. They civilize their neighborhoods.”

“We're past the age of heroes and hero kings... Most of our lives are basically mundane and dull, and it's up to the writer to find ways to make them interesting.”

“Women lie about their age; men lie about their income.”

“A child's geographic location, race or parent's income level should not predetermine their life's course and it's up to us to see that they don't.”

“Well, today people have to be self-reliant if they want a secure retirement income.”