And in my mind, this settles the issue. I would never drink cologne, and am therefore not an alcoholic.

Reading takes solitude and it takes focus.

In some ways, blogging is like drinking - it gives a person permission to be a total asshole.

I don't think writers - in general - ever achieve the fame of movie stars. For the simple reason that only a fraction of the population reads. But I guess there are exceptions.

The secret to being a writer is that you have to write. It's not enough to think about writing or to study literature or plan a future life as an author. You really have to lock yourself away, alone, and get to work.

Not crazy in a 'let's paint the kitchen bright red!' sort of way. But crazy in a 'gas oven, toothpaste sandwich, I am God' sort of way. Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax.p28

The past doesn't haunt us, we haunt the past.