There are days when none of us can bear it, but the good comes around again. Happiness is seasonal, like anything else. Wait it out. There are people who love you. People who can help.

My notion of an elegant table is you don't leave the knife sticking out of the mayonnaise jar.

My job as the writer is to fool you. Your job as the reader is to see if you can catch me at it.

You write one book and you're ready for fame and fortune. I don't know that people are spending the time and attention on learning how to write-which takes years. Everybody sees the success stories.

You kill people you hate or you kill in rage or you kill to get even, but you don't kill someone you're indifferent to.

I focus on the writing and let the rest of the process take care of itself. I've learned to trust my own instincts and I've also learned to take risks.

That's the way the system works. Sometimes you get the bear, sometimes the bear gets you.