Things were here before you and will be here after you're gone. The geographic features, especially, give you a sense of your own place in the world and in time

I do believe in God. I think God has given so much power to people, and intelligence, and said, 'Well, you are on your own. Maybe I'm tired, I need a nap. You are mature. Why don't you look after yourselves?' And I think He's been sleeping too much.

Writing is revision. All prose responds to work.

Most teachers have little control over school policy or curriculum or choice of texts or special placement of students, but most have a great deal of autonomy inside the classroom. To a degree shared by only a few other occupations, such as police work, public education rests precariously on the skill and virtue of the people at the bottom of the institutional pyramid.

At first, I spend about four hours a day writing. Toward the end of a book, I spend up to 16 hours a day on it, because all I want to do is make it good and get it done.

I've gotta keep life and computers separate, or else I'm gonna go mad.

I do believe that enduring geological features are important, though I don't think I can be clear about exactly why.