The important thing is not to be too comfortable when you're writing. Noise in the street? That's good. The computer goes down? That's good. All these things are good. It has to be a little bit of a struggle. E. L. Doctorow bitecomfortablecomputer share on social
My father was the proprietor of a music shop on Forty-third Street, where many of the finest performers and musicians of the day would come to shop. He knew the classical repertoire inside out. E. L. Doctorow classicaldayfather Change image and share on social
A period of time is as much an organising principle for a work of fiction as a sense of place. You can do geography, as Faulkner did, or you can dwell on a particular period. It provides the same framework. E. L. Doctorow dwellfaulknerfiction share on social
The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like. E. L. Doctorow felthappenhistorian Change image and share on social
People come out of the mid-west and go to the Ivy League. I kind of reversed the direction. E. L. Doctorow directionivykind Change image and share on social
Writing is a socially acceptable form of schizophrenia. E. L. Doctorow acceptableformschizophrenia Change image and share on social
The writer isn't made in a vacuum. Writers are witnesses. The reason we need writers is because we need witnesses to this terrifying century. E. L. Doctorow centurymakereason Change image and share on social
I did have a feeling then that the culture of factuality was so dominating that storytelling had lost all its authority. E. L. Doctorow authorityculturedominate Change image and share on social
I got married very early, and in no time at all, we had three children. And it seemed to me I had an obligation to support them. E. L. Doctorow childearlymarry Change image and share on social
Congress is so beholden to the money that any solution in the general interest will be frustrated and subverted by the corporate interests who feel they will be damaged by progress, fair play and justice. E. L. Doctorow beholdencongresscorporate share on social
