“There are few things as seemingly untouched by the real world as a chi...” — John Irving Quote

“There are few things as seemingly untouched by the real world as a child asleep.”

“With every book, you go back to school. You become a student. You become an investigative reporter. You spend a little time learning what it's like to live in someone else's shoes.”

“I lived five years in the Midwest, and I loved it. The people were so nice. The people were so open.”

“I have watched games at the Gabba since I was a youngster, staying up for the first 10 minutes until I fell asleep.”

“I am a very bad sleeper. There are lots of times when I'm trying to fall asleep at someone's place, and if they don't have blackout curtains, I am waking up with any amount of sunlight.”

“While their competition is asleep, world-class leaders are up - and they're not watching the news or reading the paper. They are thinking, planning and practicing.”