I think it's a goal we can achieve. Brown is going to be an extremely tough competitor, so we'll train harder and rise to the challenge.

I appreciate the pressure to win I have always experienced at Princeton. It motivates and contributes a sense of urgency and purpose to everything we do.

I'm happy every time we can go out and execute our race plan well. It was a good start because each boat went out and raced with the type of speed they'll need to when they face some of our tougher competitors, even when they got some separation from the boat next to them. I definitely think we have more speed ? we'll find it.

I haven't had trouble with writer's block. I think it's because my process involves writing very badly. My first drafts are filled with lurching, cliched writing, outright flailing around. Writing that doesn't have a good voice or any voice. But then there will be good moments.

The book that is the closest genetically to 'Goon Squad' is 'Look at Me.' It has the futuristic element - although, freakishly, almost every aspect I invented has come to pass in some way, including the terrorist who fantasies about blowing up the World Trade Centre. That was extremely uncomfortable. The book came out on the week of 9/11.

We had the tempo where we wanted it and we were in the 1-and-1 already, and then we turn it over and miss some shots that we shouldn't have taken. I think we lost a lot of our aggressiveness at the offensive and defensive ends after that.