But, for instance, when I was awfully young, I read all the Oz books. They were an enormous influence on me.

As I mentioned, I was a carpenter for a time.

I'd never been published when I was young.

Mischief moves somewhere near and I must blast it with my magic.

Well, I think everything I've ever read contributes to the background from which I write.

When you demand the nature of my motives, you reveal the style of your thinking to be callow, captious, superficial, craven, uncertain and impudent.

Then there was Clark Ashton Smith, who wrote for Weird Tales and who had a wild imagination. He wasn't a very talented writer, but his imagination was wonderful.