There is a lack of context in contemporary education. And contemporary consideration - because we live in those interiorities so much. Especially young kids who live by surfing the Web.

Never use 'submit' as a verb for sending work to magazine or book publishers; say 'offer,' and never, ever submit. Keep your knees unbent. Be brave.

Stephen King has the exact ability that Charles Dickens had. To get to his readers in spite of or despite anything the reviews say.

My heroes are people like Philip Levine, who is simply like a god to me, as a writer. And he is a very good man, too.

What I try to do is read stuff that won't deal with the dangerous dark things I hope I am writing about.

I don't think I want to write a third book. But the more people talk to me about it, the more I think maybe I do.

You have to read history. You have to have a sense of history.