Most people think its just ugly. I think it s difficult because the reality comes into your house. It comes through the window. There s always something horrible happening. It s impossible for them to be concentrating on the typewriter.
Life keeps butting in.
You have to go out to see what s happening. First you go out and boil water and give out sandwiches and mattresses and try to help people, and afterwards you get involved in so many things. Now, at the university we have a strike. You are here writing your novel about three little chickens, or whatever you want to write about, and this happens and you re out again in the street, in jail speaking to the people, so everything is happening all the time. When I ve been invited to the States to teach for four months, nothing happens.