I hadn't written a love story before and I hadn't written a novel with a happy ending before.

Get a life. A real life. Not a manic pursuit of the next promotion, the bigger paycheck, the larger house.

The women of my mother's generation had, in the main, only one decision to make about their lives: who they would marry. From that, so much else followed: where they would live, in what sort of conditions, whether they would be happy or sad or, so often, a bit of both. There were roles and there were rules.

Writing seems to be the only profession people imagine you can do by thinking about doing it.

Maybe crazy is just the word we use for feelings that will not be contained.

I do get a sense that there's a huge disconnect between the political powers and what's really happening, so right-wing conservatives can talk about contraception all they want, but the women of America are using birth control. It's as simple as that.

Ideas are only lethal if you suppress and don't discuss them. Ignorance is not bliss, it's stupid. Banning books shows you don't trust your kids to think and you don't trust yourself to be able to talk to them.