Many Intellectuals In America And In Europe,

We All Begin Much Much Much Earlier. In Fact, Every One Of Us - Every Nation, Every Individual Begins Hundreds, Perhaps Thousands Of Years Prior To The Date That Appears In The Passport.

I'm Not Sure I'm Happy With Words Such As "task" Or "role" When They Are Attached To Literature. I Prefer To Talk About The Gift Of Literature Rather Than Its Role Or Task. You Know, Gynecology Has A Role; Sex Is A Gift. And Literature Is Not About Sending Messages.

When People Have Peace, They Hate It And Long For Excitement, And When They Have Excitement, They Want Peace.

What Is Likely To Happen? Either An Escalation Of Violence Or An Entire Change In The Whole Middle East Theater. It May Well Happen, And I Say This To My Palestinian Friends, That The Palestinians Have In A Certain Way Missed Their Hour. They Had Their Moment When The World's Public Opinion Was Behind Them, And A Considerable Part Of The Israeli Public Was Willing To Compromise With Them.

I Wrote A Novel About Israelis Who Live Their Own Lives On The Slope Of A Volcano. Near A Volcano One Still Falls In Love, One Still Gets Jealous, One Still Wants A Promotion, One Still Gossips.