Writing & interviews

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Interviews

Wole Soyinka: “There is not a special imposition on writers to be activists. All that does is encourage writers to write propaganda.”

William T. Vollmann: “When I go train hopping and I look up into the sky, there are always so many more stars than I remember there were.”

Wangari Maathai: “It was easy to vilify me and project me as a woman who was not following the tradition of a ‘good African woman.’”

Errol Morris: “The photographs served as both an exposé and cover-up.”

Mary Roach: “Always go to the bathroom before you go into a life-or-death situation.”

Daniel Clowes: “David Remnick said, ‘There’s no penis jokes on our covers. That will never happen.’”

Wilbert Rideau: “The thing I’ve learned is that basically good people can do some really horrific things, and basically bad people can do some really good things.”

Roz Chast: “I must have been the only person who really understood why Joan Crawford was so upset about the wire hangers.”

Adam Hochschild: “The idea of ending slavery seemed totally utopian, crackpot, wildly too idealistic. But they succeeded.”

Peter Singer: “I think we can be ethically conscientious and recognize that sometimes there are going to be compromises.”

Clay Jenkinson (as Thomas Jefferson): “What’s unuseful is people thinking that my generation had all the answers.”

Joe Sacco: “I will interview bigwigs if I get the chance, but you are seldom surprised by people in power.”