I didn't know at the time I was writing Because of Winn-Dixie where the story came from, but in retrospect I can see that it was a response to a terribly harsh winter here in Minnesota.

If you have no intention of loving or being loved, the whole journey is pointless.

When we read together, we connect. Together, we see the world. Together, we see one another.

One, we [with Alison McGhee] laugh a lot - that was great. Two, I enjoy writing, but it's a lonely undertaking. To have someone in the room with me is an absolute delight and makes it seem less impossible. It became a kind of comforting, joyful process.

The only control you have over a movie is whether or not you decide to sell the rights.

The world is dark, and light is precious. Come closer, dear reader. You must trust me. I am telling you a story.

The draft that finally goes to my editor doesn't get into her hands until I have read it out loud innumerable times - sometimes into a tape recorder - to make sure that it sounds right.