If a mother is sitting in a chair at the office, someone needs to be at home with her child. In some cases, that is a father. Much of the time, the material manifestation of the conflict is a nanny.

My first job was to run a concessions cart. Later, I found a position at the Pacific Film Archive. Thus began a long series of jobs, each one slightly better than the last, that continued for a decade, until I sold my first novel, and still goes on, even now.

I felt like any other American kid. I already worked at a steady job as an ice cream scooper, but I didn't feel less in any way than my more affluent friends from school.

I do have food in my books. Different people eat different ways.

I'm happy that all my films are different from one another.

Everyone's like, 'Oh my God, can I ask you something? You were in 'Percy Jackson,' right?' I'm like, 'No, different guy.'

Cities are a melting pot for different ideas, and diversity brings a high-energy rhythm that I don't think we'd know was gone until it was too late.

We have dresses that I actually think look better if you have more of a bust or more of a hip... or whatever it is. That's why, in a collection, it should be as diverse as you can be. I think there should be options for a lot of different types of bodies and women.