Interview with Richard Ford

Does getting older bring freedom?
It brings the freedom of having seen a lot of things and survived them. Particularly other people’s failure to understand. It confers veteranship on you; it makes things a bit easier. I’m transgressive by nature but feel bad when I transgress. A guy at the supermarket yesterday got very close to me without wearing a mask. I turned to him and said: “Don’t you like me? Are you trying to kill me? Get the hell away.” Then I felt bad. I don’t exercise my freedoms with alacrity.