Everything's been said, but it needs saying again.

Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?

Nietzsche said without music, life would be a mistake. To me, without books, life would be a mistake.

I write to try to find out who I am. One of my main themes is manliness. I think I'm trying to figure out what manliness really is.

Don't tell me to believe. Don't tell me to believe in the same God or laws that men believe in who commit these murders. Don't tell me to believe that God can bless this country and that men are judged by their peers. Who among his peers judged him? Was I there? Was the minister there? Was Harry Williams there? Was Farrell Jarreau? Was my aunt? Was Vivian? No, his peers did not judge him, and I will not believe.

In all my stories and novels, no one ever escapes Louisiana. Maybe that is because my soul never left Louisiana, although my body did go to California.

All writers write about the past, and I try to make it come alive so you can see what happened.