I started writing by doing small related things but not the thing itself, circling it and getting closer. I had no idea how to write fiction. So I did journalism because there were rules I could learn. You can teach someone to write a news story. They might not write a great one, but you can teach that pretty easily.

When the beer is gone, so are they -- flexing their cars on up the boulevard.

A five-hour flight works out to three days and nights on land, by rail, from sea to shining sea. You can chalk off the hours on the back of the seat ahead. But seventy-some hours will not seem so long to you if you tell yourself first: This is where I am going to be for the rest of my natural life.

For peace of mind, I will lie about any thing at any time.

My job ... I do nothing, it pays nothing, but - you guessed it - it's better than nothing.

I leave a lot out when I tell the truth

I meet a person, and in my mind I'm saying three minutes; I give you three minutes to show me the spark.