I think humor is like a shield that lets you get as close to the sad sad flame as possible - far closer, oftentimes, than drama.

I think that in our culture there is this message to males that any time you can have sex with an attractive female, you should do it. But for females you always have to guard yourself against it, sort of keep sex at bay. You don't want to get a reputation, especially when you are under age.

exercise will never be my lover. Or even my friend. For me, a workout is more like an annoying coworker I have to see a few times a week.

I really want readers to put themselves into the shoes of each character. So the opening lines are an orienting technique: this is where you are, this is who you are. Go.

Luckily I'm on prescription drugs that prevent me from worrying about anything too much.

I don't consider myself attractive. I'm an academic, and in academia, people will write you off if you look younger.

For many years I wrote nothing but "I will not sleep with Steve Almond" over and over again, page after page à la Jack Torrance in The Shining. Finally, hundreds of psychotherapy sessions and an intense shaman-guided DMT sweat lodge experience led to a breakthrough, and I was able to write about other people I would not sleep with, and also about people I would.