Don't write about trying to change the world, just write about a changed world or a world that's not changing. Let that do the work.

My dad fought in Korea. It was one of the first stories I remember hearing about.

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.

I think, and a lot of that has to do with where I grew up in California; [status] isn't something I think about that much.

Contradictions make people feel off. They'll say, "Hey, you just said this and now this person is doing that, how is that possible?"

Don't write about trying to change the world, just write about a changed world or a world that's not changing. Let that do the work.

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