The funny thing is, about the time I let go of any aspiration toward worldly success, that's about the time I started writing decent work.

It's amazing what happens when you stick yourself in a place and let things take their more or less natural course.

I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you can get self-conscious about every line you write. That's a great way to freeze up.

There was no such thing as perfection in this world, only moments of such extreme transparency that you forgot yourself, a holy mercy if there ever was one.

The Kessler Theater is one such gem, an Art Deco beauty … for a slice of real life, there’s always the Kessler.

I really had to decide why I was writing. I had no interest in going back to law; I very briefly - for about six hours - considered going to get my MBA, but in the end, I realized that the only work I really wanted to do was write.

Americans are incredibly polite as long as they get what they want.