Stewart O'Nan

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.

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

You can't run from your roots.

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

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

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.