Many fathers and sons never get to reconcile their differences or come to an understanding that fills the gap between love and expectations.
I'm forever grateful to have had the opportunity to prove myself to my dad. After I took over the diner, the look in my father's eyes went from disappointment to respect.
I was a movie freak before I was a book lover.
Movies were the biggest influence on me when I was a kid.
I was a child in the '60s and a teenager in the '70s, which was the golden age of film as far as I'm concerned, between American film and the Italian reinvention of genre film.
I do feel like that's what a writer does, is he goes into other people's heads.
It's relatively easy to adopt kids if you're not trying to get kids that look exactly like you.
I love writing books, but it's a solitary experience. When I'm on a film set, I'm with a bunch of other artists working together to make one thing.
People like to talk to me. I don't know why.
Reading opens your mind and helps you understand and empathize with people who are unlike you and outside your breadth of experience.
I've seen firsthand how books can change people's lives. It happened to me.
When I was a kid in the '60s, I went shopping in downtown Silver Spring. Hecht's, JCPenney, the little retailers - they sponsored all my sports teams.
My take on gentrification and change is it's usually always a better thing, because when you see all these businesses open and flourishing, that means there are more jobs.
My sons are black, and my daughter is Latina.
I'm a strong believer in second chances.
There's a science to brain development. The brains of teenage boys are crowded with impulse and adrenaline. By the time they hit their 20s, their brains are dominated by conscience and reason.
Every day I'm not working or writing is a wasted day to me.
I'm intrigued by people who make their modest living doing good things for others. Teachers, nonprofit workers, librarians... those are the heroes in our society.
My favorite movies are from the '70s.
