I believe that kids as well as adults are entitled to books of no socially redeeming value.

I've lived in New York for 40 years. I came right after college.

I used to get a haircut every Saturday so I would never miss any of the comic books. I had practically no hair when I was a kid!

Sometimes it helps to scold yourself, to give yourself advice.

Well, I hate it when authors come into a school and they say to kids, 'Write from your heart, only write what you know, and write from your heart.' I hate that because it's useless. I've written over 300 books - not one was written from my heart. Not one. They were all written for an audience, they were all written to entertain a certain audience.

You have no control [over natural disaster]. That's what's scary about it. You're helpless. That feeling of helplessness is really scary.

I do like a lot of things that a lot of adults would scoff at. 'SpongeBob SquarePants,' 'Looney Tunes.'