The possibility of disaster remains horrific to me. Like when you know everything's about to go wrong in a way that's not controllable or knowable.

The South actually has a very strong tradition of activism. The civil rights movement came from down here! It was black activists demanding that their voices be heard. People say these are red states. No they're not!

I'm finding things out about myself as a person - as a writer - as I write, and so are the people who listen to what I do. But they have this additional aspect of how they take the stuff that I do, and so it broadens the work and it creates this strange connection. It's really a way of strangers communicating through this third thing, which is a body of work. But really, I know it's a cliché to say I write for myself, but I write for myself.

There are real teachers out there; I don't pretend to have their mantle.

When I was a kid, I was a big science fiction fan, but current horror books were harder to get your hands on.

I couldn't name more than a couple of good drum'n'bass acts, and I have no idea what's big in the dance world right now.

People involved in my personal life make fun of me a lot for not being jaded.