“If you're in America or Europe, walk for three blocks, and you'll pass...” — Michael Hirst Quote

If you're in America or Europe, walk for three blocks, and you'll pass about 14 Vikings. Their reach was immense.

The key for me with historical characters is they're interesting because they're human beings. A little bit of Hemingway goes a long way here, but journalists and writers should honestly look at their material and have a real interest, a real passion in what they want to write, and they should also have a lot of knowledge as well.

I only have one idol: John Lennon.

First episodes are difficult things to write.

I got interested in the Vikings, and then you realize that there isn't much to be read about them because they did not write their history. It was written by hostile witnesses, by Christian monks and so on. From what I could see and understand, I was really excited about it. I loved their culture and loved their gods.

One day, I'd like to get a quadruple double, points, assists, rebounds and blocks.

I've been in the league for a while now, so I know when I can go for blocks and when I can't. I try to teach the guys how I do it.

Part of what you try and do when you're writing is to just transcend politics and the moment in a way and talk about something, those fundamental building blocks of building nature.

A bridge shouldn't just fall down in the middle of America. Not a bridge that's a few blocks from my house. Not an eight-lane highway. Not a bridge that I drive over with my family every day, along with tens of thousands of Minnesotans. But that's what happened.