I think the best stories always end up being about the people rather than the event, which is to say character-driven.

That's the curse of the reading class. We can be seduced by a good story even at the most inopportune moments.

Hug and kiss whoever helped get you - financially, mentally, morally, emotionally - to this day. Parents, mentors, friends, teachers. If you're too uptight to do that, at least do the old handshake thing, but I recommend a hug and a kiss. Don't let the sun go down without saying thank you to someone, and without admitting to yourself that absolutely no one gets this far alone.

If you've ever been homesick, or felt exiled from all the things and people that once defined you, you'll know how important welcoming words and friendly smiles can be.

It's a long way back to Eden, Sweetheart, so don't sweat the small stuff.

My view is that organized religion is a very dangerous tool that's been misused by a lot of people.

After the 9/11 apocalypse happened in New York City, people, particularly New Yorkers, who breathed in the ash, or saw the results of that, have a tendency to keep seeing echoes and having flashbacks to it.