You only live once, buy Picassos whenever possible.

I think, living in America, we're so bombarded with God all the time that in certain ways I'm making statements against that bombardment, you know? I think it's crazy. I mean, I don't believe in God. I don't believe in anything. But I still think about it. And I still write about it.

I always wanted to write a book about LA, a big ambitious book. Nobody had ever really done it with LA- treating the city seriously as a major economic and cultural power, as the embodiment of 21st century America.

I try to write books that are different from the books I've already written. I think one of the thing I really try to do is reinvent how a novel can be written.

Be strong. Live honorably and with dignity. When you don't think you can, hold on.

Being an unpublished novelist has about as much social acceptability as being a shopping bag lady.

You don't have to follow anybody's rules.