I just loved being divorced from my own wretchedness.

Plays are so much more special if they've never ever had a production, but I think you can really work on a play and make it better with each production.

But here's the thing: what you do as a screenwriter is you sell your copyright. As a novelist, as a poet, as a playwright, you maintain your copyright.

Part of that is that New York has proved to be too much fun for me to live and work; I love New York so much.

I grew up in Jackson, Mississippi, really in suburbia, so my mother was in community theatre plays.

That was always my inclination, to start on a new play before the other one gets done, because at least you'll have something to go back to if that play gets trashed.

Some really good things kind of swing both ways and I like to see people that can swing really, really, really sad and horrible and terrible and really, really, really beautiful and funny.