Mom was a smoker. My grandfather was a smoker. My aunts were smokers. My uncles were smokers. I dont know any smokers now, not even my mom. – Jane Smiley
If to live is to progress, if you are lucky, from foolishness to wisdom, then to write novels is to broadcast the various stages of your foolishness. – Jane Smiley
When a novel has 200,000 words, then it is possible for the reader to experience 200,000 delights, and to turn back to the first page of the book and experience them all over again, perhaps more intensely. – Jane Smiley
In my experience, there is only one motivation, and that is desire. No reasons or principle contain it or stand against it. – Jane Smiley