By the end of the first decade of writing, I considered myself a confirmed failure in the eyes of the world.

I think if you spend much time dwelling on influence you can get self-conscious about every line you write. That's a great way to freeze up.

I realized I was never going to have any peace with myself unless I made an honest stab at trying to write.

If you want to write, then write; if you don't want to write, then don't write. I fell into the former category, and I just made the decision that I'd keep on because I liked it and might someday do something decent.

I thought when I started writing that I'd have a book out in four or five years, and as it became apparent that that wasn't going to happen, I became increasingly frustrated and unsure of myself.

The funny thing is, about the time I let go of any aspiration toward worldly success, that's about the time I started writing decent work.

The Kessler Theater is one such gem, an Art Deco beauty … for a slice of real life, there’s always the Kessler.