I would like to provoke ambiguous responses in my readers.

I'd never been interested in the Kennedy assassination until '88, when I read Libra. And from that point, I went out and bought the existing Kennedy theory books, most of which are outlandish. But what DeLillo posits - some rogue CIA guys - is the most dramatically sound, plausible explanation for it.

I love thinking about American history, thinking about LA history. I love brooding on crime.

I think I'm out of crime fiction now, and I think the dividing line is American Tabloid.

I like to have fun out there. I work hard, and then I get to cut loose and go out and tour, and I enjoy it. I like to go out and meet the people. I love to sell books.

To me, there's nothing on earth other than women. It's why I get out of bed every morning.

Rock and rollers can get you the youth buzz, and younger people are fanatical readers.