This is what happens when you go against the grain of truth. You get splinters later on.

I don't think writers - in general - ever achieve the fame of movie stars. For the simple reason that only a fraction of the population reads. But I guess there are exceptions.

I always tried to learn Greek, but all I got out of it was, "poulaki mou." ["My little chicken."]

I never could have written the screenplay because I would have been forced to learn new software and I can't learn one more thing.

[Christmas] holidays are a heavy, heavy time. We make light of them with our red and green and our stockings and candy canes, but people think heavy thoughts over the holidays because that's when you're thinking about family. Are we close? Or are we not as close as other people?

There's never a false note in a Berg novel.

I used to feel so alone in the city. All those gazillions of people and then me, on the outside. Because how do you meet a new person? I was very stunned by this for many years. And then I realized, you just say, "Hi." They may ignore you. Or you may marry them. And that possibility is worth that one word.