Sometimes I think the difference between what we want and what we're afraid of is about the width of an eyelash.

Tim Thornton's portrait of a pop culture obsession is so convincing that one can't help wishing that his fictional alt rock band actually existed, or suspecting that they did. The Alternative Hero is a weirdly compelling portrait of fanatic fandom which reads like High Fidelity at high volume.

It's the cynics who never get married.

A modest critique of an age in which an actor is the President, in which fashion models are asked for their opinions, in which getting into a nightclub is seen as a significant human achievement.

Sometimes I think the difference between what we want and what we're afraid of is about the width of an eyelash.

You have friends who actually care about you and speak the language of the inner self. You have avoided them of late. Your soul is as disheveled as your apartment, and until you can clean it up a little you don't want to invite anyone inside.

A creative writing program is only as good as its teachers, and I was fortunate in having two great writers as mentors.