"In the winter of 2005, I received Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry Cookbook as a Christmas present. It was during my early, struggling-writer years, when I was working as a chef to support my family (and my writing), and I often wondered if I’d ever make it as an author. I remember sitting down on Christmas Day to read Keller’s book in my small apartment in Colorado. I was inspired by his love for cooking, his artistry and creativity, and his deep dedication to his art. The book was an inspiration to me to keep writing and pursuing my dream of publication, and I promised myself that when I published my first book, I would celebrate at one of his restaurants. Ten years later, I signed my contract for Children of the New World with Picador. This past November, I invited my family to Per Se as a thank you for all their love and support throughout my years of writing, and I lifted a glass in thanks to Keller."

"During our first ever rehearsal as The Horrors we were doing a load of garage covers and then we started doing our first original song - it was called ‘The Fall Of Winter'. There's a bootleg of it somewhere online and it sounds like a complete mess, a racket. When we wrote it, Josh [Hayward, guitarist] said, "That song sounds a bit like The Jesus Lizard". And I said, "Who are The Jesus Lizard?" and I went and checked them out. Down was the first record of theirs I bought. There's something about that cover itself... I think it's the actual painting style. It puts ideas in your head. There's an important difference between an illustration or painting that puts ideas in your head and one that turns you off. This does a little of both and that's probably what they're going for - trying to turn you off in a good way. Even the way all their records have four-letter word titles is trying to piss you off. There's also an element of the grotesque about them that I guess people like."