"The more seriously you take yourself, the less others will."

“I am suspicious of the idea of a new paradigm, to use that word, an entirely new structure of the economy.”

“The genres change but all of my stories feature ordinary people thrown into frightening, life-altering situations.”

“People equate success with youth. And if you haven't had a certain amount of success by a certain time in your life, it's never going to happen. There's a fear about that. So people start lying about their age really young. I've never done that because I think it's so insignificant.”

“In the case of my book, I don't think it's really the coming-out gay novel that everyone really needed, even though it was received as such. The boy is too creepy, he betrays his teacher, the only adult man with whom he's enjoyed a sexual experience, etc.”

“The weirdest thing in the world is to see some guy who is just super earnest.”

“The greater the artist, the greater the doubt. Perfect confidence is granted to the less talented as a consolation prize.”

“God often visits us, but most of the time we are not at home.”

“I appreciate the fact, and am proud of it, that the attentions I am receiving are intended more for our country than for me personally.”