Writing has been my window-flung wide open to this magnificent, chaotic existence-my way of interpreting everything within my grasp.

Maggie Shipstead takes hold of the reader and doesn't let go. Astonish Me is a haunting, powerful novel.

The truth is in the present moment.

I think so much about how we read, about the nature of solitude, and of community, is changing in ways that none of us yet understand.

Traces that live within us often lead us to our stories

I'm most connected to myself when I'm alone in a room, moving my hand across a page. That's when I feel most like me.

We can't protect ourselves from pain and heartache.