Oh, and:

Maybe he procrastinates by writing other books because the alternative is going out and being around other Utah people.

I am guessing that's not it, since he teaches at BYU, the weirdest university ever, after getting his degree there. He's a Nebraska native but still a Mormon (there is a difference between Utah Mormons and other Mormons--I'm guessing having to do with whether or not they're a majority), so he probably fits in pretty well.