Like most kids, I grew up singing 'This Land Is Your Land' in grammar school, but with the most radical verses neatly removed. This was before I knew it was a Woody Guthrie song.

I think the criticism that I take to heart is from other writers that I respect.

What's important is you wake up in the morning and something doesn't exist, and when you finish you day's work something is in the world that wasn't there before.

I just had a child on purpose at age 56, I'm pretty f---ing optimistic.

You know, I'm not comfortable with people whose politics are static in a democracy.

Me, I'm spiritually retarded, I need to be knee deep in water with a fly rod in my hands, that's about as close to God as I get.

At home, I'm lucky if I can write three or four hours before the phone starts ringing and the kids want to go to soccer.