I dont really distinguish between sympathy and honesty when Im writing. The two go together – Im interested in inhabiting my characters, seeing the world through their eyes. – Tom Perrotta
When I was writing The Abstinence Teacher, I really tried to immerse myself in contemporary American evangelical culture. – Tom Perrotta
I think Im fascinated by the power of religion in our culture. Like a lot of secular, liberal people, I ignored it for a long time. Lately, of course, just from a political perspective, its impossible to ignore. – Tom Perrotta
I read The Great Gatsby in high school and was hypnotized by the beauty of the sentences and moved by the story about the irrevocability of lost love. – Tom Perrotta
When youve been raised in care, rap music isnt just about guns and sexism. Theyre talking about real things you can hang on to, problems of identity that you have sympathy with. Its not just about the music, with rap: when I was in care, it meant a whole lot more than that. – Samantha Morton