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

Nobody's trying to kill you, Deirdre. You're killing yourself.

Our lives are one endless stretch of misery punctuated by processed fast foods and the occasional crisis or amusing curiosity.

Optimism sprouts from the knowledge that you are in control of your own life, not your past and not those around you. Part of being in control is taking responsibility for how you feel. This means not just admitting to uncomfortable feelings but then examining your circumstances to see what can be done to change these feelings at the source.

I tend to really enjoy being swept up in fiction. I love a good story and I admire fiction authors.

I was on the cover of a lot of newspapers. I was on the cover of USA Today for every single day for a month. I was on the masthead, so I tend to get recognized a lot, and in weird places. It's always flattering, and it's always odd. It's always at the worst possible time.

I hate news and information and anything that threatens to puncture the bubble of oblivion in which I live.