Without animals, there would be no humanity. In a world of just people, people will mean nothing . . .

The most boring scenes are the scenes where a character is alone.

Idiot people like Angel Delaporte who look for a supernatural reason for ordinary events, those people drive Misty nuts.

Kids, she says. When they’re little, they believe everything you tell them about the world. As a mother, you’re the world almanac and the encyclopedia and the dictionary and the Bible, all rolled up together. But after they hit some magic age, it’s just the opposite. After that, you’re either a liar or a fool or a villain.

Stanislavski was right, you can find fresh pain every time you discover what you pretty much already know.

You hear the best stories from ordinary people. That sense of immediacy is more real to me than a lot of writerly, literary-type crafted stories. I want that immediacy when I read a novel.

You can say anything if enough people will listen.