"Whenever I start a book, I swear it's going to be a short one. But then it's, 'Who was his grandfath..." — James A. Michener

I have only one bit of advice to the beginning writer: Be sure your novel is read by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Honest to God, I do all the research on these books myself.

I know the world of opera so intimately: historical sweep, sharply defined characters, not too rational an explanation of what's going on. It's a feast.

When I first pitched my Navy tent on the island of Espiritu Santo to the north of Vila, the natives on nearby Malakula were cannibals. Today, they have representation in the United Nations.