I have lived for a long time inside a series of coincidences that most people would find implausible in a novel.

I realized that my identity as a novelist was private. Only I knew how much of a novelist I was!

I have lived for a long time inside a series of coincidences that most people would find implausible in a novel.

Every now and then, you find a book that feels like it was keyed to your DNA.

Each source that I read, I would look through the bibliography and the footnotes, and use that as a map for the next thing I would read.

The ideal editor will hold you to the best of yourself in the piece.

One of my big inspirations was Céleste Mogador. She was a courtesan who wrote her memoirs in order to pay off her debts, which is a hilarious gesture.