I grew up in Seattle, but I always knew I wanted to leave.

There are things in this universe that we cannot control, and then there are the things we can. . . . Let fate, coincidence, and accident conspire; human beings must act on reason.

I think you have an obligation to share what you know as a writer.

Don Quixote is one that comes to mind in comparison to mine, in that they both involve journeys undertaken by older men. That is unusual, because generally the hero of a journey story is very young.

accident ruled every corner of the universe except the chambers of the human heart.

Cities produce in me melancholy or a tension I don't need.

I have relaxed into my persona as an author, although I used to fight that.