“Last I heard he was arrested for buying large amounts of cocaine. My mom let me know. She called me one day and said: ‘I don’t want you to find out by Googling your name.’ It wasn’t a huge surprise, actually. It explained a lot of his behavior. He promised to pay for our school, then didn’t. He never wanted to pay child support. He started calling less and less. I haven’t heard from him in years. But I have a really, really great stepdad. I just call him Andrew. My first memory of him was when I was ten years old. I just thought he was a nice older guy at the New Year’s Eve party. But my mom got hammered, and the whole ride home, she kept saying: ‘Isn’t he so great? Isn’t he so cute?’ Two years later he moved in with us. He never tried to discipline me. He’d leave that to my mom. He always had the attitude of: ‘I’m not your father.’ But he was another adult in the house that I could rely on. And I’d never had that before. He’d cook meals for us. And he’d really work hard on them. And he’d drive me places. I think 95% of my needs at the time were cooking and driving. Even today, I could call him if I need a ride anywhere. If he’s not able to do it himself, he’ll pay for a cab. Or he’ll figure out another solution. It’s the kind of attention that makes you feel like you’re deserving of someone else’s time. He’s far from perfect. He works too much. He snores. He doesn’t do his laundry. But when I think of the qualities of a good man, or dad, or just person, Andrew’s got them.”
“I had the idea for a book right after I graduated from law school. It’s a series of novels about superhuman professional fighters, like what the UFC would look like in the Marvel Universe. I’d love to create an entire world like Tolkien did for Lord of The Rings. But right now it’s mostly just notes on my phone and computer. I’ve had goals in the past, but not like this. I’ve never sunk so many hours into something. It’s become a very core part of my identity. It’s like an application that’s constantly running in the background of my mind. Everything I see, I apply to the story. The bridge behind me reminds me of the entrance to the main stadium, which is a sculpted archway of past fighters climbing over each other. The book gives me a reason to explore more. I’m taking long walks. I’m looking deeper at things. And I’m especially paying closer attention to other people. It’s the only way to create believable characters. I have to think hard about the lives of people I meet, and the circumstances that made them who they are. So even if nothing else comes of the book, it’s made me a better person. Just having the goal has forced me to grow.”
