Why are we inspired by another person's courage? Maybe because it gives us the sweet and genuine surprise of discovering some trace, at least, of the same courage in ourselves.

I never intended to be a journalist. Frankly, I don't think I ever was a journalist. I backed into it.

To write an article about someone and then to have that person murdered is disturbing.

I loved seeing my name in print, I loved seeing my words in print. I felt really privileged to be in the kind of company I was in at Esquire, but I didn't think it was going to launch a career as a top-notch journalist. It's just not what I wanted.

I've never written a hard journalism piece in my life. I've never wanted to do that.

Success and failure. We think of them as opposites, but they're really not. They're companions - the hero and the sidekick.

All of us ambitious young writers hoped to have a cover story in Esquire, of course. The idea was to write the best, most entertaining article that you can.