A story, to me, has a particular sprite, like the angel of the spirit of that story - and it's my job to attend to what it wants to do.

You going to be a scientist when you grow up?” That sort of question deserved a blank stare, which it got.

I wanted the chance to look again at very famous stories and see what made them work well, whether there were any ways in which they could be improved. Because the great thing about fairy tales and folk tales is that there is no authentic text.

Lee was too cool by nature to rage at fate; his manner was to raise an eyebrow and greet it laconically.

It's only through honesty and courage that science can work at all. The Ptolemaic understanding of the solar system was undermined and corrected by the constant pressure of more and more honest reporting.

Lord, if I thought you were listening, I'd pray for this above all: that any church set up in your name should remain poor, and powerless, and modest. That it should wield no authority except that of love. That it should never cast anyone out. That it should own no property and make no laws. That it should not condemn, but only forgive.

There will be days when the stuff is not flowing freely. What you do then is MAKE IT UP!