William Styron, quoted by Anne K. Yoder from the latest volume of the Paris Review interviews.

The writing I adore has always been about grappling with something - trying to wrestle it to the ground and encompass it within one’s grasp - whether it’s the crooked timber of everyday experience, or the ways that we try to connect with each other.

Maybe it’s just that function proves to be a wonderful organization-tool, or that I’m only able to explain why I like something in terms of its purpose. But there still seems to be something there, some element of essential empathy because I understand the kind of battle they’re fighting.