I became a full-time writer in 1993 and have been very happy, insofar as anybody is, since.

A novel is written not to be judged, but experienced.

No woman that I know is capable of leaving her child down for thirty seconds. She can't walk away without making sure that everything is absolutely as secure and safe for her child as can be.

People whose lives are upside down often read fiction. When you're not sure where you'll end up or how you are going to be, and you're looking for some way forward, fiction is a great friend.

Try to be accurate about stuff.

Cats, I always think, only jump into your lap to check if you are cold enough, yet, to eat.

Story is about pulling the reader in and a plot is a more externalized mechanism of revelation. A plot is more antic, more performative, and less intimate. When you're telling a story you're telling it into someone's ear.