[He] had the soul of a poet, and because of this, he liked very much to consider questions that had no answers.

Mercy Watson is a pig. She lives with Mr. and Mrs. Watson, who are not pigs. I had that basic premise, but I couldn't make it work. I would come back to it, try it, see that I was failing, and put it aside.

A friend of mine said Winn-Dixie is the way that people want the world to be and Tiger Rising is the way that it is.

I'm predisposed to think that as a people, we're hardwired to understand things through the telling of stories. I think that as human beings it's part of who we are.

But still, here are the words Despereaux Tilling spoke to his father. He said, "I forgive you, Pa!" And he said those words because he sensed that it was the only way to save his heart, to stop it from breaking in two. Despereaux, reader, spoke those words to save himself.

I'm at the mercy of whatever character comes into my head.

Rats have a sense of humor. Rats, in fact think the world is very funny. And they are right, dear reader. They are right.