Late bloomer' is another way of saying 'slow learner.

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.

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.

Eruptions of talent continue to happen in Haiti, in spite of everything.

I never listen to music when I'm writing.

I have a horror of being self-indulgent and wasting time, and there is that risk in doing this kind of work. Are you totally deluded in sitting down at a desk every day and trying to write something? Is it self-indulgent, or might it possibly lead to something worthwhile? At a certain point I decided to keep on because I felt like the work was getting better, and I was taking great pleasure in that.

If you could figure out how to live with family then you'd gone a long way toward finding your peace.