Gossip is irresponsible communication. Irresponsible because it is at the expense of another person who is not there to defend herself. Irresponsible because it is not constructive: it helps no one, least of all the person being gossiped about.

I don't want to die. I think death is a greatly overrated experience.

The human animal varies from class to class, culture to culture. In one way we are consistent: We are irrational.

Never, ever underestimate your readers. Everything you do registers.

I think the reason I choose the comic approach so often is because it's harder, therefore affording me the opportunity to show off.

We have the ability to be the Athens of modern times as opposed to the militaristic Sparta. I remind you that the Athenians wrote poetry. The Spartans did not.

I had to learn the image is not the word, which is a jolt for a literary soul. But it has served me well in terms of understanding plot, in terms of watching actors develop characters.