I always fancied myself an outdoorsman, even though I'm a Jewish guy from the East Coast.

Michael Finkel

Categorized in : Always Myself Jewish Guy

As a writer, I spend a lot of time alone, and I like it. I'm also a long-distance runner, and I love long, solo road trips; I can drive literally all night, drinking coffee, and not even listening to the radio, just strangely content sifting through the random thoughts in my own head.

alone coffee time love

Extraordinary things happen in solitude.

happen things things-happen solitude

My fight-or-flight mechanism... had served me well in Gaza, in Afghanistan, and all the places I'd been.

places well me afghanistan

There have always been hermits: people who want to get away from other humans. Literally, some of the first extant books and poems found in Mesopotamia and China mention people living alone in the woods. It's this primal fascination that exists across all cultures and all times.

alone woods want people

America might be the land of second chances, but it ain't the land of third chances.

chances second land america

I think many people have this sense that something about modern society - the screens, the noise, the traffic, the constant busyness - has approached a point where living in the world feels somewhat unhealthy.

think society people world

Perhaps one could say I've worked in South Africa too long, but I believe in forgiveness, especially when a person admits a mistake, asks for forgiveness, and works to right a wrong.

forgiveness mistake long believe

I am a writer. It's like a third arm to me.

arm i-am like me

In my writing, I try to combine all my favorite elements of journalism - accuracy, real characters that exist on this planet - with all my favorite elements of literature: a sense of flow, of propulsion, of wanting to read every sentence.

journalism real literature writing

Not to get too maudlin, but I think all mistakes are tests for one's mettle.

i-think mistakes get think

I committed pretty much the worst thing you can do, which is defraud the readers.

worst-thing pretty you worst

I am guaranteeing you that if you see my byline on a story, it's going to be the cleanest story you've ever read.

i-am story see you

I never do formal interviews. I don't use a tape recorder. I take notes but occasionally.

never take formal use

You can read my stuff; there are not very many quotes. It's more impressionistic.

read more very you

I moved at age 22 to Montana to be able to walk in really wild woods, where the chances of being killed by a bear or mountain lion are not zero.

lion walk mountain age

Modern life, especially with young children, so often seems like a mad rush... We so rarely take time to just do nothing - not look at our phones, not read the news.

look time life children

I firmly believe that if we all just took a little time - like 10 or 15 minutes a day - to do nothing but sit calmly with our thoughts, this world would be a much better place.

thoughts day time world

I spent 12 years traveling more than six months a year. I really needed to see the world.

more year see world

There's a difference between lying and not being straight.

straight difference being lying

Frightening things happen in solitude.

happen things things-happen solitude