I cannot always write at the same time, in the same place. I work, travel and have a vigorous family life. If I'm stranded in an airport lobby - I write. If I have to wait in a doctor's office - I write. If I have a morning or evening to myself - I write.

The hardest part is making the time to write. Not finding the time to write, mind you. Making.

I write in the morning, I walk in the afternoon and I read in the evening. It's a very easy, lovely life.

There are constant cycles in history. There is loss, but it is always followed by regeneration. The tales of our elders who remember such cycles are very important to us now.

The whole day and evening at juvenile hall mimics what daily life is like in a normal family, what life should be like. Every one of these kids can be successful if the expectations are clear and they know you mean what you say. They need consistency and boundaries.

I find that it takes a lot of years of living, and many more of reckoning, to come up with one worthwhile paragraph. And when a deadline looms, prayer doesn't hurt, either.