Never in our country's history have we witnessed a natural disaster that has impacted so many people in such a wide area. In fact as of the writing of this column millions of people along the Gulf Coast have been displaced from their homes in a period of only five days.

Since I was there in the very beginning I know the history of the characters. So I make comments about the tone and sometimes remind the writers that we've done that before.

I am trying to make clear through my writing something which I believe: that biography- history in general- can be literature in the deepest and highest sense of that term.

The real history of consciousness starts with one's first lie.

If you listen to Giuliani it's like nobody did anything to improve the city except him. I'm not part of the history. Bloomberg's not part of the history. It's like he did it. He's the only one. That's why he's a little crazy.

Helplessness induces hopelessness and history attests that loss of hope and not loss of lives is what decides the issue of war.

We decry violence all the time in this country but look at our history. We were born in a violent revolution and we've been in wars ever since. We're not a pacific people.

I'm so intrigued by women throughout history where the significance of what they were representing at that time is obscured by the fact a man saved them or they were prostitutes.

And History will smile to think that this is the species for which Socrates and Jesus Christ died.

We live in a world where amnesia is the most wished-for state. When did history become a bad word?