He is politically a real maverick. It's very idiosyncratic, and I mean that in a good way.

There is no motivation higher than being a good writer.

My idol is Emile Zola. He was a man of the left, so people expected of him a kind of 'Les Miserables,' in which the underdogs are always noble people. But he went out, and found a lot of ambitious, drunk, slothful and mean people out there. Zola simply could not - and was not interested in - telling a lie.

Philip Roth is a fabulous writer, but he pretty much stays within his own life. He's so good - I mean, practically anything I've ever read of his I've really enjoyed. He just has tremendous talent. But I think he should have given himself a break and gone deeper into the society.

I may be a maverick, but it doesn't mean I like playing tricks.

I found a great many pieces of punctuation and typography lying around dormant when I came along - and I must say I had a good time using them.