"My godmother gave me stationery -- it was jungle themed stationery that had my name, it was customized -- and I would write stories and send them to publishers."

"Iowa was not only the best location for me, but it felt like I could focus on my work here. The campus is so beautiful here, and the program itself is so enticing, it pushes me to be the best."

"Of what use is such an invention?" The New York World asked shortly after Alexander Graham Bell first demonstrated his telephone in 1876. The world was not waiting for the telephone."

"There are days when I work the whole day because my text demands it. Then fellow writers supply me with a drink or a bagel late at night."