No song or poem will bear my mother's name. Yet so many of the stories that I write, that we all write, are my mother's stories.

Stretching [and] yoga [are] very helpful. All of these things - they really do help. Good food and a lot of sleep. And reading - reading good books. Sometimes movies - although a lot of the movies are difficult.

Human compassion is equal to human cruelty, and it is up to each of us to tip the balance.

We writers - we're the snowflakes of the literary world. We each have our own shape.

What I've seen from keeping in touch as well as I can is that what I find so typical in Mexican culture is the helpfulness of the people to each other. I think, at this point, that is the highest good and the highest we can hope for - which is to be of help and use to each other wherever we are.

I just really love people a lot. I really love them.

But I don't know how to fight. All I know how to do is stay alive.