We have to give our poor, innocent, and undeserving-of-our-badness characters trouble in order to make them characters in a story.

I love to read nonfiction and memoir, but I'm mostly interested in the piece of writing more than the person.

I think that inevitably, the trouble our characters go through is a kind of metaphor for what's happening in ourselves.

I don't think a white person can write accurately and convincingly about what black people experience of oppression.

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.

You may be somebody who writes best for a small press that doesn't pay very well, but you might have a fascinating and intricate style that might not appeal to as many readers but will be incredibly meaningful to the readers you have. Truly, that's as wonderful if not more wonderful.

There are so many different ways, most of them helpful and legal, to get yourself into a state of mind where writing is possible. It's going to be different for each person.