I have a fierce will to live. Others fight a little, then lose hope. Still others - and I am one of those - never give up. We fight and fight and fight. We fight no matter the cost of battle, the losses we take, the improbability of success. We fight to the very end.

How long does it take for a broken spirit to kill a body that has food, water and shelter?

I meet a number of people as a writer of fiction who say "Oh, I don't read much fiction," as if the history of the United States, just as an example, isn't an exercise in storytelling and myth-making.

We are all born like Catholics, aren't we—in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to God?

The lower you are, the higher your mind will want to soar.

You can get used to anything - haven't I already said that? Isn't that what all survivors say?

It's important in life to conclude things properly. Only then can you let go. Otherwise you are left with words you should have said but never did, and your heart is heavy with remorse.