In the twentieth century one of the most personal relationships to have developed is that of the person and the state. It's become a fact of life that governments have become very intimate with people, most always to their detriment. E. L. Doctorow centurydetrimentdevelop share on social
Writing is immensely difficult. The short forms especially. E. L. Doctorow difficultformimmensely 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
To have the regard of one's peers is immensely moving. E. L. Doctorow immenselymovepeer Change image and share on social
I try to avoid experience if I can. Most experience is bad. E. L. Doctorow avoidbadexperience Change image and share on social
I started on computers with 'Billy Bathgate,' a little orange screen with black letters. I thought it was really cool, but it actually slowed me up for a while because it's so easy to revise, I tended to stay on the same page. I've learned to discipline myself. E. L. Doctorow bathgatebillyblack 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
I don't think anything I've written has been done in under six or eight drafts. Usually it takes me a few years to write a book. 'World's Fair' was an exception. It seemed to be a particularly fluent book as it came. I did it in seven months. I think what happened in that case is that God gave me a bonus book. E. L. Doctorow bonusbookcase 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 like commas. I detest semi-colons - I don't think they belong in a story. And I gave up quotation marks long ago. I found I didn't need them, they were fly-specks on the page. E. L. Doctorow agobelongcolon Change image and share on social