I took my .38 out and looked to see that there were bullets in all the proper places. I knew there would be, but it did no harm to be careful. And I'd seen Clint Eastwood do it once in the movies.

College had little effect on me. I'd have been the same writer if I'd gone to MIT, except I'd have flunked out sooner.

I had achieved the most important things in my life when I married Joan and had the sons. Given the choice between Joan and the boys, and being a writer, I world give up being a writer without a blink.

This was 1954, friends. The girls' dorm was off limits. Even to girls, I think.

For David Parker and Daniel Parker, with the respect and admiration of their father, who grew up with them.

I really don't know what I am going to do in terms of what a book is going to be about until I actually start writing it!

This is not a screenplay. I don't do twenty drafts. I'm not going to show this to you until it's published or accepted for publication. You can make whatever suggestions you want, but I probably will ignore them entirely.