Wayne Wang, the director of Because of Winn-Dixie the movie, understood the book and transferred as much of the feeling of the book onto film as humanly possible. I think he did a fabulous job. And also I'm thrilled because the movie brings people to the book - people that wouldn't know about the book - and that's a great thing.

I think, oh my god, kids are reading, and they care about a book enough to come over and talk to me about a book that they care about. If I think about it as being a celebrity, it would freak me out. But I just think, lucky me, that I get to be a part of this whole thing.

The shapes arranged themselves into words, and the words spelled out a delicious and wonderful phrase: Once upon a time.

The way we started was, Alison [McGhee] said, 'Tall girl, short girl.' We had no plans beyond that.

There ain't no way you can hold onto something that wants to go, you understand? You can only love what you got while you got it.

The undoing is almost always more difficult than the doing.

I have not Googled myself. I have not looked at myself on Amazon. It could drive you wild.