Stewart O'Nan

When I'm writing, I try to have the mask of my character on as I'm walking through the world.

The story is always in service to the characters, and is only as long or short, or neat or ragged as it needs to be.

You can't run from your roots.

I would've done anything to work with Satyajit Ray.

I wanted to be a teacher, but I was a lousy student, one of the slowest readers. It was a tremendous struggle. But I'm lucky I had some teachers who saw something in me.

I'm a big action junkie. I grew up on the '80s action movies - the bad ones and the good ones.