There's a notion of art in this country that you have to be nutty or special or "called" in order to be an artist. I believe the questions everyone should ask themselves are, "Do you want to do it? Are you willing to do it poorly? Are you willing to do the work of doing it? Are you willing to persist when everybody tells you it's silly?" If you're willing to do that, then you can do it.

I have done quite a few signings at bookstores, libraries and conferences. I have received phone calls and letters from people who liked the book.

When I do it [writing] by myself, there's a lot more terror and uncertainty.

There are hearts, reader, that never mend again once they are broken. Or if they do mend, they heal themselves in a crooked and lopsided way, as if sewn together by a careless craftsman.

The sound of the king's music made Despereaux's soul grow large and light inside of him.

I believe, sometimes, that the whole world has an aching heart.

When I get to a point in my book writing when I don't know what I'm going to do next, I'll come back look at underlined passages and see if the images I wrote still have a certain amount of resonance for me.