The death drive is parasitic. It runs off of other drives, leeching off of them.

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.

I don't think secrets are a bad thing. I think there's this idea that everything needs to be transparent in order for it to be free.

I'm really much better at asking questions than answering them, since asking questions is like a constant deflection of oneself.

We lost so many talented artists and writers from the generations before ours that we're really lacking older figureheads.

I'm convinced I was the only kid ever who had a Death on the Nile [1978] movie poster and a Murder on the Orient Express [1974] movie poster on his bedroom walls.

I also wonder why is it that so many of the movies and books that are detective stories are also the most aesthetically interesting? From Hollywood noirs to horror movies like The Shining [1980].