The genius of a folk melody or story is not the feeling that it's original but quite the opposite - the feeling that it has existed all along.

When I was a kid, phone calls were a premium commodity; only the very coolest kids had a phone line of their own, and long-distance phone calls were made after eleven, when the rates went down, unless you were flamboyant with your spending. Then phone calls became as cheap as dirt and as constant as rain, and I was on the phone all the time.

I think the responsibility of running a huge business, which happens if you become a successful designer, probably makes you more careful.

States should pass laws making it illegal to own or trade wild animals; the phony 'educational' permits that many private owners have used to skirt those laws should be eliminated.

I went to a football school, which meant that I went to a university that served up education and was simultaneously operating a sports franchise.

I teach a non-fiction writing class at New York University, and one of my great pleasures is deciding on the syllabus.

You may never learn the names of any of the people you talk to in a dog park, even after many, many hours spent there with them, and many hours of conversation. But if - knock on wood - anything should ever happen to your dog, these nameless non-strangers will rally, sympathize, offer to help, and hold your hand. I know this from experience.