When we aren't collectively imagining hopeful futures, then the way things are going almost invariably seems negative and frightening.

I don't listen to music when I write. I need silence so I can hear the sound of the words.

For many people, there is an almost power to be found in prayer.

I'm not sure if guys are supposed to read Vanity Fair. I feel very metrosexual with it but am not sure it's in my comfort zone.

Religion is not something I like to talk about publicly. One reason is the politics, but also I think spirituality is deeply personal.

I come from an enormous and very close family. I have over a dozen aunts and uncles in Pakistan, dozens of cousins. I have many close friends. I have received so much love in Lahore that the city always pulls me.

I think there's a natural link between the fact that our self is a story that we make up and that we're drawn to stories. It resonates, in a way.