I believe that we often disguise pain through ritual and it may be the only solace we have.

Knowing Latin and having two years of Attic Greek gave me the strong foundation upon which I've built a career. I think the classical training, more than anything, has provided me with longevity.

We animals live life in all its glorious uncertainty. Why do politicians think they can control events?

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.

The writer's job is not to write a novel, hold it up and say, “Here I am,” but to write a novel, hold it up and say, “Here YOU are.

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

You're nothing in America if you don't have debt.