We are all formed to some extent by the language, religion and customs in which we grew up, yes. But I am less interested in the ways culture makes people different from one another than I am in the ways we are all the same. It’s only by looking past cultural differences to what we humans have in common that I can get to the level of empathy and understanding I need to turn a character into a real human being.
My whole life, I’ve been desperate to feel the spiritual impulse. Sadly, however, I’ve never experienced it. Pure Cosmos Club was my attempt to understand what it must feel like to be blessed with the gift of faith.