I smoke cigarettes when I write, which is disgusting, but it really helps me.

There's something about fear and aesthetic that go hand in hand.

Looking back, [R.E.M.]videos, by in large, have always been art films. I'm thinking of "Losing My Religion." That's a landmark piece.

I really believe there is something in the nature of a democracy that naturally leads people to distrust the government, to assume because a democracy is built by people just like themselves that there must be secret plots and cover-ups and wizards behind the scenes running the machine.

My strength is character. I'm pretty good at building walking-talking humans with brains like beehives.

It is a little out of touch to presume that someone wants to follow your every observation and insight over the course of hundreds of pages without any sort of payoff. That's why writing isn't a one-way street. You have to give something back: an interesting plot, a surprise, a laugh, a moment of tenderness, a mystery for the reader to piece together.

There's also something sexual about watching the nubile girl in terror. But you do take on her fear as your own.