I had spent years thinking about one thing while I was doing another. I had, in fact, prided myself on being able to do two things at once.

I thought I might write mysteries for the rest of my life.

The fundamental condition of childhood is powerlessness.

A novelist is on the cusp between someone who knows everything and someone who knows nothing.

Hungry ears are sharp ones.

Your sons weren't made to like you. That's what grandchildren are for.

Ignorance and bloodlust have a long tradition in the United States, especially in the red states.