Human connection is the way things work. It's like a patronage system. You know somebody, and he knows somebody, and he knows somebody, and he knows the district governor, and it's okay.

When the days start to get shorter, I want to be in some nice brick building on the East Coast with the lights glowing in the windows. When the daylight starts changing, I want to be out West.

I only saw one English-speaking person all the way across Siberia.

Russians don't complain, usually.

I think what is important for things to be funny is if you the listener, or the reader, get a chance to supply the humor of it yourself.

There's an idea of the Plains as the middle of nowhere, something to be contemptuous of. But it's really a heroic place.

When I needed to think or was really upset, generally I climbed a tree.