Real fear is like intense pain. It's there to warn you something's truly wrong.

Between a gasp and a sigh, a life can change forever.

Do you have to feel something for it to be real or mean anything? Can you touch your dreams, taste your imagination.

Nature is a big influence on my work. That's where the cosmic element comes in, an awareness of the relevance of what we do as a species, why we do it, and its implications.

Love is harsh, and it consumes. And more than anything, it demands sacrifice.

Humans crave knowledge, and when that craving ends, we are no longer human.

I tend to believe that computers are drawing kids -- and adults -- away from reading purely because they provide an alternative, vast source of spare-time amusement and entertainment. I recently heard a frightening statistic: there are less than one million true readers in this country (those who read every day instead of one book per year on a beach). Terrifying.