Daniel Mason - But being able to talk to so many patients from so many walks of life gives

But being able to talk to so many patients from so many walks of life gives a tremendous window into people's lives. This is not to say I want to write about individual patients, but I think that after listening to the concerns of people who are so different from me, I can more realistically portray characters who are so different from me.

- Daniel Mason

source: Penguin Random House interview, www.penguinrandomhouse.com.