I always had a curiosity about Texas. I had a curiosity about small-town life, although, granted, Odessa's not a tiny town.

I am 5'6' and desperately wish I was taller.

If someone is going to criticize what you've written and you believe in what you've written then you should respond.

I worked at my high school newspaper at Andover, which came out weekly, unusual for a high school paper. Then my first day at Penn I went right to the 'Daily Pennsylvanian' and pretty much spent most of my college career working both as the sports editor and then editor of the editorial page.

One of the inspirations for my becoming a writer was the baseball board game Strat-O-Matic.

I actually like football a great deal.

Your perception plays tricks when you are hoping for something.