Myth and mythology often serve constructive and aspirational purposes. But they also do harm. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
I want to contribute to the culture and keep great writers alive by telling the stories of their lives. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
I first wrote a biography of Thomas Carlyle, and it turned out I loved writing biographies and had a talent for it. I believed I had a contribution to make. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
I started out as a writer of fiction, but nobody wanted to publish my work as a young man. So I decided to put my interest in the narrative writing of biographies. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
Obama is a very fine writer with an excellent command of language. His memoir ‘Dreams From My Father’ is a fine book, but it will not rank as one of the great autobiographies. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
Lincoln is a genius of language and a brilliant writer who deserves to be seen as part of the canon of great writers in American literature. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
I got to know Gore Vidal quite well, up front and personal: his magnificent strengths and his appalling, almost other-worldly weaknesses. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
Lincoln is distinguished from every other president, with the exception of Jefferson, in that we can be certain that he wrote every word to which his name is attached. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
Gore Vidal was a man of immense literary talent, some of which he used well, some of which he wasted. Fred Kaplan Read Quote
