"Billy Bathgate Discussion With EL Doctorow"

“Murders are exciting and lift people into a heart-beating awe as religion is supposed to do, after seeing one in the street young couples will go back to bed and make love, people will cross themselves and thank God for the gift of their stuporous lives, old folks will talk to each other over cups of hot water with lemon because murders are enlivened sermons to be analyzed and considered and relished, they speak to the timid of the dangers of rebellion, murders are perceived as momentary descents of God and so provide joy and hope and righteous satisfaction to parishioners, who will talk about them for years afterward to anyone who will listen.”

“The historian will tell you what happened. The novelist will tell you what it felt like.”

“Planning to write is not writing. Outlining ...researching ...talking to people about what you’re doing, none of that is writing. Writing is writing.”

“Author Interview at failbetter.com”

“History is the present. That’s why every generation writes it anew. But what most people think of as history is its end product, myth.”

“Like art and politics, gangsterism is a very important avenue of assimilation into society.”