Be persistent. Editors change; tastes change; editorial markets change. Too many beginning writers give up too easily.

No writer should minimize the factor that affects everyone, but is beyond control: luck.

The first treasure California began to surrender after the Gold Rush as the oldest: her land.

We are all dying of life.

Libraries are magical places. There's nothing quite like strolling the hushed aisles, letting your eye rove along dimly lit shelves. Each spine, each title, seems to beckon with a promise of incredible wonders, surprises, and adventures.

I have always had a special affinity for libraries and librarians, for the most obvious reasons. I love books. (One of my first Jobs was shelving books at a branch of the Chicago Public Library.) Libraries are a pillar of any society. I believe our lack of attention to funding and caring for them properly in the United States has a direct bearing on problems of literacy, productivity, and our inability to compete in today's world. Libraries are everyman's free university.

Be yourself. Above all, let who you are, what you are, what you believe shine through every sentence you write, every piece you finish.