I gained a great appreciation for what I would call the collective achievement of the country. I began thinking of America as a much more just and humane place than I would have thought if I'd been covering the civil rights struggle.

My parents encouraged me in everything I ever wanted to do.

There is such a thing as a national conscience, and it can be touched.

I started out thinking of America as highways and state lines. As I got to know it better, I began to think of it as rivers.

I could tell you which writer's rhythms I am imitating. It's not exactly plagiarism, it's falling in love with good language and trying to imitate it.

The love of family and the admiration of friends is much more important than wealth and privilege.

TV critics, who traditionally hate television and make their living writing about it, often didn't like what I did on the air.