Teaching is very important to me, and it has become more important as I get older.

I think the difference between writing as someone and writing for them is that when you write for someone, you take on a kind of political burden or message, which I don't think we have the right to do.

It's a scary thing for fiction writers, when you're always writing from the point of view both as and for someone who is different.

Censorship is all around us, I don't think it's innate.

I love it when people can help me with my work, so I do show it.

Whoever would write books? It's suffering as well as greatly satisfying. And certainly there's suffering in the sense that you don't know for a long time how to do it.

Being part of a community of writers is huge. I really think that's why people go to MFA programs.