I have a hard time revising sentences, because I spend an inordinate amount of time on each sentence, and the sentence before it, and the sentence after it.

It's hard to write a war story without thinking about the 'Iliad.' Because the 'Iliad' knows everything about war.

We give each other a hard time, but no pranks.

Even though I went to Exeter and Yale, and I enjoyed all the trappings of those places, I think at the same time - and maybe it's because I'm an immigrant kid and not white - there was always this other consciousness; that is, I was conscious of everything that was going on.

I have a hard time with free time.

I definitely had a hard time leaving for college because I'm not much of a risk-taker.