Nobody can assume that, to a writer, everything is off-limits.

I like a lot of Margaret Atwood, I like much of Alice Munro. Again, if you were to ask me about male writers, there's often a novel I admire, but not all of their works.

Clichés so often befall vain people.

I am not alone in bearing grudges against reviewers who have doomed a book's chances because they've missed the point, the tone, everything.

You put a character out there and you're in their power. You're in trouble if they're in yours.

The admiration of another writer’s work is almost in inverse proportion to similarities in style.

It's gratifying that it does; I love to give readings.