I do no writing while I'm in Belgrade visiting my grandma.

I grew up in Cyprus and Egypt, these fantastic places I remember fondly.

For me it was a lot harder to come to terms with the death of my grandfather than it was to come to terms with what's happened to the former Yugoslavia.

The best fiction stays with you and changes you.

My grandfather and I were very close.

A family has its own rituals and its own superstitions.

Come on, is your heart a sponge or a fist?

We're all entitled to our superstitions.

My mother always says that fear and pain are immediate, and that, when they're gone we're left with the concept, but not the true memory.

I've always written about animals. I'm still trying to process why that is.

I think the mythology of death really ran away with me when I was very young.

The emptiness that fills in when once-the-beloved says, "Who are you?

A one-book man is either a slow learner or an ill-equipped teacher.

Political criticism is our enemies' best friend.

God's grace comes in all shapes, sizes, and circumstances as God continues to unfold something magnificent in me.

I'm proud of most of the stuff I've put out and I hope my kids will look at it long after I'm gone and go, "hey, Daddy was cool once!"

Send me out into another life. But get me back for supper.

Ugliness corrupts not only the eyes, but also the heart and mind.

I tell everybody, I get so much because I give so much. I give freely, I give all my time, give all my money, give all of my soul. I try to motivate people. I try to inspire them.

What I don't understand about mobile homes is that you have a mobile place to live, you park it, and you never move it again. That's like buying a Sony Walkman, and nailing it to your hi-fi.

When you feel like you've had a good show, you go backstage and you talk to yourself about it, and if you have a bad show you talk to yourself about it.