I Don't Write Police Stories, Per Se,

The More I Hung Out With Detective Squads, The More There Was Always One Guy Or Two Guys Or A Woman Who Had A Case That They Were The Primary On Years Ago, It Was Never Solved, And They Take That Case Into Their Retirements.

I Don't Write Police Stories, Per Se, But I Usually Write About Areas That Are Very Panoramic, Like Harlem, Or The Lower East Side, Or A Small Urban City Like Jersey City.

I Started Thinking About My Relationship With My Students; I'm This Guy Who Comes In From Book - And Movie - Land And Descends On Angel Wings Into Their Classroom.

If You're Writing A Book That Takes Place In New York In The Moment, You Can't Not Write About 9-11; You Can't Not Integrate It. My Main Character's View Is The Statue Of Liberty And The Trade Center. It Doesn't Have To Take Over, But It Has To Be Acknowledged.

Some Day, My Son, You Are Going To Learn That The Two Greatest Joys Of Being A Man Are Beating The Hell Out Of Someone And Getting The Hell Beaten Out Of You, Good Night.