People test movies within an inch of their life, so that the entire audience experience is a uniform one.

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 a mortal man breaks a people, it is always blamed on the gods.

There is no passion so much transports thesincerity of judgement as doth anger

I always felt that the great high privilege relief and comfort of friendship was that one had to explain nothing.

Be wild; that is how to clear the river.

Annis had never been a people person, unless ‘people person’ was defined as a person who ate people.

I find it more enjoyable investing time doing what pleases me, rather than wasting precious time attempting to please everyone else.

Larry Moffett is 6' 3". Last year he was 6" 6".

Our poverty will be brought home to us to its full extent only after the war.

The only judgment that truly matters is the final judgment.

Sometimes I sit up late with my thoughts, reluctant to fall asleep and leave my thoughts alone by themselves.