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

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.

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

I read nonfiction. There's very little fiction that I enjoy enough to spend my time reading. I am generally a nonfiction guy.

You hate someone whom you really wish to love, but whom you cannot love. Perhaps he himself prevents you. That is a disguised form of love.

Pound's translation of Chinese poetry was maybe the most important thing I read. Eliot a little bit later.

Spiders so large they appear to be wearing the pelts of small mammals.

The intellectuals and the young, booted and spurred, feel themselves born to ride us.

Let me tell you what the Cain Doctrine would be, as it relates to Israel if I were president. You mess with Israel, you are messing with the United States of America!

I'm sure it's nothing switching to a light beer won't cure.

The bond between friends cannot be broken by chance; no interval of time or space can destroy it. Not even death itself can part true friends.

All through the night, she battled herself. Or battled to know herself. She fell apart and then put herself back together and then she fell apart again and put herself back together, over and over.

Change isn't made by asking permission. Change is made by asking forgiveness, later.

If failure had no penalty success would not be a prize.