There are two kinds of sculptures. There's the kind that subtracts: Michelangelo starts with a block of marble and chips away. And then there is the kind that adds, building with clay, piling it on. The way I write novels is to keep piling on and piling on and piling on.

As a writer, putting words on the page is how I pay attention.

It's a good rule of thumb, it seems to me: if you're not allowed to see where something comes from, don't put it in your mouth.

I am willing to be annoying if that's what was necessary.

You can make great meals without meat that are, of course, much more healthy for the same price, but it takes a process of reeducation, just because Americans aren't familiar with how to cook vegetables anymore.

I'm deeply curious about Jewish things. I've toyed around with the idea of going to rabbinical school.

We could imagine all sorts of universes unlike this one, but this is the one that happened.