When I was writing 'The Abstinence Teacher,' I really tried to immerse myself in contemporary American evangelical culture.

When I was writing 'The Abstinence Teacher,' I really tried to immerse myself in contemporary American evangelical culture.

I've been a little bit obsessed with religion, without being a religious person, for about a decade.

It just so happened that for most of my life I've lived in the suburbs.

I know very few writers who outline fully before they start. It just doesn't seem possible to do, because so many things don't come out until you're absolutely knee-deep in the world.

I was also known as Frodo because I was an early adopter of 'The Lord of the Rings.

Nothing beats novel writing because it's complete expression of you. You just control everything. Not even a movie director has that level of control.