I often heard about his cases and I often sat in on his trials. In the late 1960s when I was growing up I wanted to be a crusader like him but I didn't want to wear a suit and commute.

Hemingway said the only way to write about a place is to leave it.

Even though I may not intend it when I set out to write the book, these places just emerge as major players in what I'm doing, almost as if they are insisting on it.

At one level you're condemned to the voice you have. But within those confines, you have a certain amount of freedom to range among your possible voices.