I think it's difficult for young people to acknowledge being smart, to knowledge being a reader. I see kids who are embarrassed to read books. They're embarrassed to have people see them doing it.

With my writing, what I want to do is humanize the young people I write about.

I hate to see capable, smart people out of work - young or old.

And I see the - you know, when I go to the juvenile detention centers and prisons, I see people who can't read now. And I know that when they leave those prisons and those detention centers, they're not going to be able to make it in our society.

I think one problem we've had is that people who are smart and creative and innovative as engineers went into financial engineering.

I think 'Eerie, Indiana' is a show for young people.