He was swept with a sadness, a sadness deep and penetrating, leaving him desolate like someone washed up on a beach, a lone survivor in a world full of strangers.

I've had aunts and uncles who not only haven't read my books but could hardly believe that I was a writer.

I had my bully, and it was excruciating. Not only the bully, but the intimidation I felt.

It's amazing that the heart makes no noise when it cracks.

Everybody sins, Francis. The terrible thing is that we love our sins. We love the thing that makes us evil.

And he did see--that life was rotten, that there were no heroes, really, and that you couldn't trust anybody, not even yourself.

Why did the wise guys always accuse other people of being wise guys?

They don't actually want you to do your own thing, not unless it's their thing too.

I have lived a thousand lives lost within the pages of a book.

The possibility that hope comes out of hopelessness and that the opposite of things carry the seeds of birth - love out of hate, good out of evil. Didn't flowers grow out of dirt?

Affection is one of the most neglected words in the English language, that people throw the word love around like confetti when they mean affection.

Most of us are addicted to non-active reading. The outstanding fault of the non-active or undemanding reader is his inattention to words, and his consequent failure to come to terms with the author.

We feel that what's too far is when you make a joke and somebody gets hurt.

I came out of school just at the time regional theater was first expanding. All of a sudden, lots of new companies needed actors.

It keeps me in touch with younger musicians who are constantly saying, 'Have you heard this new artist, or this new guitar player?' It keeps you reaching.

I learned that you can't have any expectations with life. You never know what's going to happen.

Lots of African-American people really so adore Barack Obama that they're unwilling to even be mildly critical of him.

I'm really kind of boring - I'd rather go to bed early and get up early because I really value my time off, my time away from work.

He's such a great kid and such a determined kid, and he's so strong.

the unfortunate thing about worldliness is that its rewards are rather less than its appetites.

Once youve changed who you are or who youve portrayed in your music, the fans, theyll catch it... Once I feel like the world knows me for anything else but my music, then I feel like I failed.