I've always known when I start a story what the last line is. It's always been the case, since the first story I ever wrote. I don't know how it's going to get there, but I seem to need the destination. I need to know where I end up. It never changes, ever.

He wondered how we know that what happens to us isn't good.

I assemble stories-me and a hundred million other people-at the sentence level. Not by coming up with a sweeping story line.

I exaggerated even before I began to exaggerate, because it's true — nothing is ever quite as bad as it could be.

I had a mother I could only seem to please with verbal accomplishments of some sort or another. She read constantly, so I read constantly. If I used words that might have seemed surprising at a young age, she would recognize that and it would please her.

I'm not good at small talk; I'm not good at big talk; and medium talk just doesn't come up.

There’s so much I can’t read because I get so exasperated. Someone starts describing the character boarding the plane and pulling the seat back. And I just want to say, Babe, I have been downtown. I have been up in a plane. Give me some credit.