She was good at talking with young people. She seemed to view them as interesting foreigners.

I just want to be told a story, and I want to believe I'm living that story, and I don't give a thought to influences or method or any other writerly concerns

I never think about the actual process of writing. I suppose I have a superstition about examining it too closely.

I forget a book as soon as I finish writing it, which is not always a good thing

I think it must be very hard to be one of the new young writers who are urged to put themselves forward when it may be the last thing on earth they'd be good at

Mostly it's lies, writing novels. You set out to tell an untrue story and you try to make it believable, even to yourself. Which calls for details; any good lie does.

I read so I can live more than one life in more than one place.