I never read a book I must review; it prejudices you so. -- Oscar Wilde.

Born into a milieu where reading was rare, deriving little pleasure from the activity, and lacking in any case the time to devote myself to it, I have often found myself in the delicate situation of having to express my thoughts on books I haven't read.

Were I to pretend otherwise and again join the mob of passive readers, I would feel that I was betraying myself by being unfaithful to the milieu from which I came; to the path among the books I have been obliged to take in order to create; and to the duty I feel today to assist others in overcoming their fear of culture, and in daring to leave it behind to begin to write.