"I’ll never forget a strange story by Camus, ‘The Renegade.’ It told of a Christian missionary who went to convert a desert tribe and instead was converted by them. When he broke one of their rules, they cut his tongue out."

"No list would be complete without Lawrence of Arabia. Again, I’m constantly looking at that film for its sheer bravado, magnificence, scale, scope, and having just shot [The Hurt Locker] in Jordan in the summer of 2007, I visited Wadi Rum, which is the desert in which they shot Lawrence of Arabia, just about two hours outside of Amman. And it’s in the middle of the desert, to which David Lean brought — and this is in the ’60s — arc lights, and a whole production. If you see this desert, first of all, it’s gorgeous, it’s beautiful. But it’s a very forbidding landscape, not one you would imagine would be very film friendly; these beautiful, magnificent, extraordinary kind of red rock buttes that rise out of this red sand… I think Lawrence of Arabia brought us to Jordan and made that the location of choice for The Hurt Locker."

"A very boring film. I have always had a pulsing interest in Atlantis and all interpretations. This film decided that Atlantis is in some caves under the desert. Such a deliberate betrayal to any imagination of the myth is of course inspirational."

"On this desert island I’m guessing there isn’t a boom box, so I’d take this book about the history of 20th century music in which Satie and Wagner are so beautifully described and placed in their own time, it’s as if you hear it playing."

"Lost on a desert island, having a book like this to inspire you, and to learn, would allow you to still dedicate your life to something. Find yourself a little beetle, or a tiny ant. Maintain a sense of curiosity and thrill of exploration."

"The first time I watched this movie was with a group of friends who are obsessed with it. I asked to watch it again the following three nights. It’s absurd, it has the most amazing cast, and it’s infinitely quotable. It’s a perfect desert island movie."

"The Grandmama of southern gothic literature, O'Connor unabashedly tackles faith and faithlessness head on. Grotesque, funny and oftentimes creepy, these stories draw a picture of a society on the brink of moral bankruptcy. I find them more relevant today than ever....even on a desert island."