People are very comfortable when race relations get looked at retrospectively. Slavery, the civil rights movement, etc.

In White Boy Shuffle, I combined my seventh-grade teacher, Mr. Takemoto, who really saved me - I don't think I've ever told anyone this - and my first basketball coach, Mr. Shimizu, into one character. Something about the way they talked about things, and their attitudes, had a huge impact on me. Not that I necessarily agreed with them. It was important to me to just put them there to stay grounded.

We don't act the same in every situation. Things bleed into all kinds of other things, from behavior to identity.

The thing is that it's always a constant reminder of how violent this country has been, always has been, you know. I'm still frustrated with these conversations: [Barack] Obama is black so that means this, that things are better, or it means that you voted for him because he's black.

Sometimes I would get frustrated, I'd think, "You know, this is a good book, how come no one is paying attention to it?" So it's nice to have some recognition.

People are very comfortable when race relations get looked at retrospectively. Slavery, the civil rights movement, etc.

If all the world's a stage, I want to operate the trap door.