I find that the creative side of my brain and the archival side of my brain don't work well together. When I've done my best work, I've been in a trance-like state.

Launching a new TV show is probably one of the most difficult things that a writer can do.

I'm a pessimist, but I have many painstakingly applied coats of optimism.

The most oblivious people are often the happiest.

As a child, I tried to play by the rules. I got very good grades in school; I was an Eagle Scout; and I believed in all of it.

You have to respect people's suffering. To deny that the world is unfair and painful for most of the people living in it would be false and judgmental.

The people who seem to have a lock on power get swept out in a couple of years. So it's naïve to keep swinging at the same targets over and over. It took me a long time to realize, but most of the shackles that I flailed against were just illusory.