I don't pretend for a second that I'm that great of a person on a day-to-day basis. I'm a deeply flawed human.

What's the point of having a book club if you don't get to eat brownies and drink wine?

In the wintertime I like macaroni and cheese.

An ellipsis is a giant ocean of possibilities.

I find that short stories are almost like palate cleansers, or brain cleansers.

You can quit smoking, and never have to have a cigarette again to survive. But with food, it is a daily challenge.

I love doing readings. I could really give a crap about reviews. It's kind of about the readers.

I remember being banned from other houses as a younger child during the winter holiday season; I was the only one who didn't believe in Santa Claus, and I was ruining everyone's Christmas.

I just think structure can make a book feel so much bigger. It's the architecture. You could use flimsy materials if you wanted to, even, but it could still feel big.

In 1998, I started a blog, something I could control very easily and update at my own whim.

I'm not that much of a researcher. I'm good at channeling characters, and I'm good at structure.

The universe doesn't hand out blank cards to play. You will know your hand soon enough.

Indeed, God is always with us even when things look hopeless.

There has been grave error. I do not mean so much error of doctrine as error of emphasis.

This diagnosis is a reminder that this is the life you've got. And you're not getting another one. Whatever has happened, you have to take this life and treasure and protect it.

No, you can't go getting mad at people because they're shitty. Life will get mad at them, don't worry.

The two key words for the European Union are creativity and fruitfulness. That's the challenge.

You take the senses away, and there is no consciousness. Consciousness comes from experience.

I've obviously been born fortunate. I love people. I enjoy every single minute of my life.

I spent a lot of my childhood not fitting in, in a lot of different ways.

God Almighty has set before me two great objects, the suppression of the slave trade and the reformation of manners (morality).