'Choosing precisely the right piece of text to submit to the cursor’s jaw or the pencil’s jab is never fortuitous. There are criteria, clear in my mind.'

Choosing precisely the right piece of text to submit to the cursor’s jaw or the pencil’s jab is never fortuitous. There are criteria, clear in my mind, that preside over each choice: mood, pace, proportion and what I call the curve — a quality of tension.