I like books like 'The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher,' where the investigation of a crime becomes a way into an exploration of the society where the crime took place.

If you rewrite a paragraph fifty times and forty-nine of them are terrible, that's fine; you only need to get it right once.

I'd always been fascinated by archaeology; it was my original career plan as a kid.

Most animals are pragmatic about mysteries: If they run across something they don't understand, all they care about is whether it's edible and whether it's dangerous. Humans, on the other hand, are drawn to the mystery for its own sake.

If the American people - pro-choice and pro-life - cannot agree with the basic concept that the life of a baby born alive following a botched abortion should be protected, then when do the rights of these babies begin?

You want to try and bring a character to life in an honest a way as you possibly can. It doesn't matter whether he's a doctor, an actor, a car salesman or a captain of a starship. If you can bring truth and honesty to that character, then your audience will believe you.

My first film was a big dud at the box office, and my second film did decently. I used to wonder how it would feel to have a hit film. I thought I'd be larger than life, but I'm not feeling anything I imagined. It's a completely different experience.

I'm not bothered about what people say behind my back. I don't need to know about it. I believe in living my life and doing my work. God will give you success. And even if He doesn't, there's a lesson to be learnt.