I had never worked in television before Freaks and Geeks, and New Girl is the first time since that Ive worked on a series that is actually a series and not just a pilot.

When you take on a project, you have to be certain that you can make the best version of whatever it is youre given.

My first pilot gig; in fact my first job in television; was 'Freaks and Geeks,' and the experience of directing that pilot was probably the single most formative of my directing life.

Comedians want to be rock legends for a day - that sounds fun to them.

There aren't any GOOD guys. You realize that, don't you? I mean: there aren't EVIL guys, and INNOCENT guys. It's just - it's just... It's just a bunch of guys.

Prayer ain't weakened by distance.

My sister has mistaken me for a mushroom. She keeps me in the dark and feeds me shit.

Without Him our daily routine would become tiresome and tedious, a drudgery rather than a joy.

Don’t underestimate the dreams everyone has

What other than mental illness spurs normal people to write prolifically? The chief cause is not quite illness, but nearly: love, especially unhappy love.

I had never held a baby in my life. I was one of those women - people would say, "Do you want to hold my baby?" and I was like "No ... "

Problems are the price of progress. Don't bring me anything but trouble. Good news weakens me.

When a man can observe himself suffering and is able, later, to describe what he's gone through, it means he was born for literature.

I grew up with the Grand Ole Opry, Dottie West, Conway Twitty, Buck Owens... not realizing it was influencing me as much as it was.

With you, intimacy colors my voice. Even 'hello' sounds like 'come here'.