I believe that the writer should tell a story. I believe in plot. I believe in creating characters and suspense.

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.

The artist must be like a heart surgeon. He must approach something with sympathy, but with a sort of coldness and work and work until he finds some kind of perfection in his work. You can't have blood splashing all over the place. Things must be done very cleanly.

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.

We all have much more in common than we have difference. I would say that about people all over the world. They don't know how much in common that they have

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.

Question everything. Every stripe, every star, every word spoken. Everything.