I saw my one purpose in that moment, looking into that little girls eyes. I was the one who was meant to save her, that was my one purpose all this time.

And I grew up on a steady diet of science fiction, especially apocalyptic and postapocalyptic fiction.

I think many years ago I got on a bus in L.A. and drove around to see the stars' homes, but that's the extent of my direct experience in Hollywood.

There was something in the pages of these books that had the power to make him feel better about things, a life raft to cling to before the dark currents of memory washed him downstream again, and on brighter days, he could even see himself going on this way for some time. A small but passable life. And then, of course, the end of the world happened.

I have any number of completely dark obsessions and fascinations, and none of this was present in my profile or my growing profile as a writer.

We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.

I'm an ecumenical reader, grew up with all sorts of fiction, teach writing, went to the Iowa Writers' Workshop, so my tastes and interests are broad.