You do things when the opportunities come along. I've had periods in my life when I've had a bundle of ideas come along and I've had long dry spells. If I get an idea next week I'll do something. If not I won't do a damn thing.

In my book I detail the critical information we obtained from al Qaeda terrorists after they became compliant following a short period of enhanced interrogation. I have no doubt that that interrogation was legal necessary and saved lives.

I think a moratorium probably is legal and we should probably for a short period of time impose a moratorium so that we don't permit any additional landfill permits for the time being so we don't exacerbate the problem.

As legal slavery passed we entered into a permanent period of unemployment and underemployment from which we have yet to emerge.

I love learning about different dialects and I own all sorts of regional and time-period slang dictionaries. I often browse through relevant ones while writing a story. I also read a lot of diaries and oral histories.

The second half of the '60s really was a kind of learning period in terms of writing for me.

Well immediately we announced yesterday or the day before we're building with my foundation a youth tennis and learning center in Austin. I'd like to be hands on with that and not see it periodically.

I spent a little time in Germany as a schoolboy learning German and it's a country I knew very well spent a lot of time in. I knew the history very well. I've always wanted to do a piece of work about the post-war period of one sort or another.

I enjoy learning about different periods and people and then taking what's universal about the human condition and seeing where it matches up. No matter where you are certain things unite everybody.

Desperation is a necessary ingredient to learning anything or creating anything. Period. If you ain't desperate at some point you ain't interesting.