The world intrudes in my brain daily. Since my brain is dripping with all kinds of stuff that's out there in the world, that I can't seem to be able to shut out, it has to end up being in my work as well.

I'm always surprised by things that happen to my work.

I'm not hip, I'm not cool, I'm not glib.

If we all knew we were going to live to be 150 years old, we'd all approach our lives very differently.

I do write about people who are complex and are striving with something and can't quite get past their own stuff, which would be a proxy for myself because that's what the deal is with me.

If all I ever wrote about was inner city freaks, I think it would be dishonest.

I provide the bricks and mortar with the words and situations - the director and the actors and the designers build the house.