“My sister-in-law is a painter, and I'll say, how long did it take you ...” — Anthony Doerr Quote

“My sister-in-law is a painter, and I'll say, how long did it take you to paint that painting. She'll say, It took me maybe three days, but it took me all my life to get the skills to paint that painting.”

“I think some people think that writers read and read and read, get the information, and then write. That's not how it works. Often, you write yourself into a dark place where you don't know what you need to know, so you go get the information.”

“Short stories are not maybe the biggest deal in our culture anymore.”

“I did have a chance to box for Pakistan, but I've lived here all my life, gone to school; all my coaches and everyone's here, and I feel English.”

“My philosophy all my life has been the pursuit of excellence.”

“I've just been competitive all my life. That draws from a competitive family. We're all athletes, and we're all trying to win no matter what it is, whether it's Scrabble or basketball.”