As we go through life our relationship with our own mortality and our inevitable demise increases.

The minute you become a leader of a country, you go into a very small club. You join that sort of pantheon of other world leaders.

If you have distance from the events, then your story can work as an analogy or parable, rather than its literal narrative.

To what degree are historians chroniclers of the truth and to what degree are they just novelists, frankly?

Firms are a bit concerned about things like oil prices and US growth but actually the change (in firms expectations) is quite small so I think broadly theyre looking for more of the same.

I wrote 'Hereafter' quickly and without mapping it out too much or being too schematic. As an exercise, I think that was incredibly important.

Generally, I read nonfiction. Theres very little fiction that I enjoy enough to spend my time reading. I am generally a nonfiction guy.

Movies feel like work, and reading fiction feels like work, whereas reading nonfiction feels like pleasure.

I just try and do something good. But as a writer, you're slightly out of control.

I am not a politics wonk. I like the idea of my writing reflecting more about who I am or other people.

The real beauty in my professional experience has been friendships and collaborations with filmmakers.

When you are writing laws you are testing words to find their utmost power. Like spells, they have to make things happen in the real world, and like spells, they only work if people believe in them.

Never attempt to win by force what can be won by deception.

Someone who claims to know what happens after death is probably someone we should be suspicious of -- they might be a ghost.

For the villainy of the world is great, and a man has to run his legs off to keep them from being stolen out fom underneath him.

Life just seems so full of connections. Most of the time we don't even pay attention to the depth of life. We only see flat surfaces.

Nihilism is a natural consequence of a culture (or civilization) ruled and regulated by categories that mask manipulation, mastery and domination of peoples and nature.

I'm not an inventor. I just want to make things better.

Yesterday people were going past my window in t shirts and dresses. But that's the men at the BBC for you.

i am like a survivor of the flood walking through the streets drenched with God surprised that all of the drowned victims are still walking and talking

Make friends with your caddie and the game will make friends with you.