[T]he astonishing purity of pain, how it will not be mixed with any other sensation.

Because it is the Midwest, no one really glitters because no one has to, it's more of a dull shine, like frequently used silverware.

In truth, there are only two realities: the one for people who are in love or love each other, and the one for people who are standing outside all that.

When all the details fit in perfectly, something is probably wrong with the story.

I feel quite at home writing short stories but nervous and anxious when writing novels, as if the bad time of consecutive failures might arise again.

Forget art. Put your trust in ice cream.

It's my feeling that any writer can get an emotion into a story without being sentimental as long as the emotion is dealt with honestly, with sufficient clarity, and detail.