I needed something--the distraction of another life--to alleviate fear.

I think my sensibility is very literary; all my books were built as books, and I wasn't thinking about them being movies.

I had no idea that 'Less Than Zero' was going to be read by anyone outside of Los Angeles, and it's - believe me, as the writer of the book I'm somewhat amused and intrigued by the idea that 25 years later it's still out and people are still reading it.

I don't want to care. If I care about things, it'll just be worse, it'll just be another thing to worry about. It's less painful if I don't care.

Writing a novel that works is an extremely difficult thing to do. It requires a level of skill and dedication that always surprises me.

The images I had were of people being driven mad by living in the city. Images of parents who were so hungry and unfulfilled that they ate their own children.

Yes. Yes I am. I am a completely demented misogynist.