I grew up as a fifth-generation Jew in the American South, at the confluence of two great storytelling traditions. After graduating from Yale in the 1980s, I moved to Japan. For young adventure seekers like myself, the white-hot Japanese miracle held a similar appeal as Russia in 1920s or Paris in the 1950s.

Americans know more about religion than almost any other topic.

Don't forget, God uses words to create the world. Words! Words are only hope.

There is profundity to explore, but also laundry to do.

Adam and Eve - and especially Eve - are victims of the greatest character assassination the world has ever known. Eve is not secondary. Eve, if anything, is the great initiator in the story. She's the first independent woman. For me, rediscovering that Eve was the greatest bad**s women of all time was a revelation.

You may be frustrated with religion, but don't take that out on God.

After college, I wanted to learned about myself as an American, so I left the United States and went to Japan.