I thought religion would make me live with my head in the clouds, but as often as not, it grounds me in this world.

More people die on a per mile basis from drunk walking than from drunk driving.

I love to live things, so I wanted to immerse myself and get into the mindset - and sandals - of my forefathers.

When I was with the serpent-handlers in Tennessee, it was the most bizarre method of worship I could think of. Yet when you sit with these people, you can kind of see how it makes sense.

I’d recommend learning to accept rejection. Become friends with rejection. Be nice to rejection, because it’s a huge part of being a writer, no matter where you are in your career.

I got a sense of the amazingness of ordinary life, and I became aware of the marvel that we're around to begin with. I visited a lot of extreme communities, like the Amish, Hasidic Jews, and serpent-handlers. And I was proud, because I think I'm the first person to ever out-Bible-talk a Jehovah's Witness. After four hours, he said, "Okay, I have to go."

A loud noise will get your fight-or-flight response going. This, over the years, can cause real cardiovascular damage.