At one time in my career, Barnes and Noble bookstores categorized my books as religious fiction.

Everyone has some inner power that awaits discovery.

The kids who speak well, are articulate and intelligent, are all readers.

The idea of being a novelist is really romantic, but it's kind of the same as being president of the United States - it's not gonna happen.

My belief is that the purpose of economic life is to meet the social needs of people.

People traverse the dangerous journey to the US because of deep fear. They are often escaping brutality, even life-or-death situations.

I find increasingly that the more extreme are the things going on in your life, the more cultural reference points fail you. More mythical reference points actually help, and you realise that's what myths are for. It's for human beings to process their experience in extremis.

Making films has never just been a job to me; it is my life. I have some interests outside of acting - I sing and I've written books, for instance - but acting is what keeps me going: it's what I do; it gives life purpose.