I wanted to earn a living wage and to see something nice about me in the 'New York Times.' I wanted my mother to be proud. I wanted all the things you want and also feel silly for wanting. I wanted readers to say they'd enjoyed something of mine - to see my photo in magazines where I'd seen photos of other writers.

- David Lipsky

One of the things that writing and speech can do is express what we're thinking one thought at a time.

- David Lipsky

Hemingway changed prose; so did Salinger and Nabokov.

- David Lipsky

I know people who are medicated and it's their favorite subject.

- David Lipsky