Coffee on an airplane always smells bad. Whenever it is served, suddenly the whole cabin stinks of it.

I find you write with one person in mind. Usually for me that one person is my wife, because she's my most severe critic and understands best what I'm trying to do.

Krakow is one of my favorite places on earth. It is a medieval city full of young people. A wonderful, striking combination.

Writing a short story is like having a short intense affair, whereas writing a novel is like a long rich marriage.

When you love someone deeply, you know secrets they haven't told you yet. Or secrets they aren't even aware of themselves. ... She was also the person I wanted to share the trivia of my life with, because that too is part of the magic of concern: Whatever you live is important to them and they will help you through it.

I write about what interests me. It's very dangerous when you try to satisfy an audience.

In Poland, my audience is all women between 18 and 30. At U.S. conventions, you have the fantasy and science fiction crowd. At Harvard you have an entirely different audience. It's so schizophrenic.