And he did see--that life was rotten, that there were no heroes, really, and that you couldn't trust anybody, not even yourself.

I simply write with an intelligent reader in mind. I don't think about how old they are.

The beautiful part of writing is that you don't have to get it right the first time, unlike, say, a brain surgeon. You can always do it better, find the exact word, the apt phrase, the leaping simile.

I'm always telling myself as I write that I'm not really writing a novel; I'm just going to fool around with a character or an idea.

Kids tell me all the time, "I don't know how you do it, but that's us in the book." That's the kind of response you want, and I can't sacrifice it for the sake of somebody worried about censorship. You have to find a way to be truthful and honest.

I don't mean to be insolent. I'm truthful. I tell the truth and the truth sometimes hurts. For instance, you have bad breath, Lieutenant. I can smell it from here. It must offend a lot of people. That's the truth. But how many people have told you that? Instead, they either lie or try to avoid your company.

And he did see--that life was rotten, that there were no heroes, really, and that you couldn't trust anybody, not even yourself.