We were taking collections for people with AIDS in New York around Easter.

You know it's sort of common wisdom among New York publishers that short story collections don't make money.

When it comes to locations I'm one of those crazy authors who has to see it touch it taste it before I trust myself to recreate it for my readers. Having said that visiting a locked-down pediatric psych ward was the most intimidating research I've ever done - and I've visited maximum security prisons shooting galleries bone collections etc.

I've got a book of poetry by the bed one of these big collections that goes back to the Greeks and Romans.

The humor section is the last place an author wants to be. They put your stuff next to collections of Cathy cartoons.

People who have car collections - I never understood that. I always thought that was unnecessary. It's not beautiful it's not creative. It's just showing how much money you've got.

On my birthday I was in Milan for the collections.

Most of those who make collections of verse or epigram are like men eating cherries or oysters: they choose out the best at first and end by eating all.