Saying what you believe others want to hear is, of course, a form of lying.

As your perspective of the world increases not only is the pain it inflicts on you less but also its meaning. Understanding the world requires you to take a certain distance from it.

I have a longing for fiction - to try to believe in it and to disappear into it.

For me, personally, it is very important that the days are exactly the same, so I have routines. I do the same thing every day.

The strange thing about writing is that it's so easy to write a novel. It is really easy. But it's getting there to the point where it's easy that's hard. The hard part is to get there.

I think that the best literature has a core that you can't lock to a time or place but that can generate lots of meanings and translations.

Shame tells you when you've gone too far. Then you try if it's okay to go too far. And it might be so that shame was right. You can never, never know that.

As a person, I'm polite - I want to please.

If you are disappearing from yourself, but you're still writing, then there is a kind of activity of thinking going on, which in my world is similar to what's going on in music.

Why not go out on a limb? Isn't that where the fruit is?

Our dreams are made of real things, like a shoebox full of photographs.

There is a sense that things, if you keep positive and optimistic about what can be done, do work out.

There have been times of late when I have had to hold on to one text with all my might: "It is required in stewards that a man may be found faithful." Praise God, it does not say "sucessful.

Jesus to me is somebody I can think about for security and confidence. Somebody I can revere in terms of bravery and in terms of courage.

Instead of being disappointed about where you are, be optimistic about where you are going.

You've got to put yourself in positions to take away what can be said.

I definitely went through my magic phase. I think all little boys do at some point or another - they get fascinated by magic tricks.

Sometimes if you have a difficult decisin to make, just stall until the answer presents itself.

My lifestyle got so disruptive to my family that my parents had no choice but to say, "You can't live here any longer if you're going to live this way." So, I was thrilled about it - thrilled!