They both seemed to understand that describing it was beyond their powers, the gratitude that spreads through your body when a burden gets lifted, and the sense of homecoming that follows, when you suddenly remember what it feels like to be yourself.

It just took some people a little longer than others to realize how few words they needed to get by, how much of life they could negotiate in silence.

I think I'm fascinated by the power of religion in our culture. Like a lot of secular, liberal people, I ignored it for a long time. Lately, of course, just from a political perspective, it's impossible to ignore.

I was writing very early, like I was involved in our high school literary magazine, which was called 'Pariah.' The football team was the Bears, and the literary magazine was 'Pariah.' It was great. It was definitely a real sub-culture. But I wrote stories for them.

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

My wife and I left New York when she got pregnant - we just thought it would be really hard to stay in the city.

He made me think of all the books I hadn't read, and all the ones I'd read but hadn't fully understood.