"A lot of us grow up and we grow out of the literal interpretation that we get when we're children, but we bear the scars all our life. Whether they're scars of beauty or scars of ugliness, it's pretty much in the eye of the beholder."

"But I think talent as a writer is hard-wired in, it's all there, at least the basic elements of it. You can't change it any more than you can choose whether to be right handed or left handed."

"Like anything else that happens on its own, the act of writing is beyond currency. Money is great stuff to have, but when it comes to the act of creation, the best thing is not to think of money too much. It constipates the whole process."

"Americans are apocalyptic by nature. The reason why is that we've always had so much, so we live in deadly fear that people are going to take it away from us."

"A courageous heart knows that every ending is merely a new beginning in disguise."

"To conquer fear is to realize that the simplest acts of love resonate the loudest."

"A visionary sees the unseen possibilities in the heart of common struggles. A lesson woven into the fabric of human history."

"Love is my religion - I could die for it."