What I take from writers I like is their economy - the ability to use language to very effective ends. The ability to have somebody read something and see it, or for somebody to paint an entire landscape of visual imagery with just sheets of words - that's magical.

I'm trying to get low. People's personalities can get in the way of their own work.

Don't look down, it's an impossible view; Fly like an eagle whatever you do.

I never had any ambitions of being a movie star or anything like that, but you know, this is nice.

You're not gonna get through life without being worshipful or devoted to something. You're either devoted to your job, or to your desires. So the best way to spend your life is to try to be devoted to prayer, to Allah.

All the things that are worth doing, take time.

I believe the projects were a social experiment; we were laboratory rats stacked on top of each other, and people just knew, inherently, that there was something wrong. There's not a lot of regard for the property by the residents.