When I left Iowa, I definitely never wanted to stand in front of a group of academics again and see if they approved of me. I made up my mind to take my work to the actual reading public.

When I started to be a writer, I was not going to run the risk of boring you.

The heart's in it then, spinning dreams, and torment is on the way. The heart makes dreams seem like ideas.

But I've been at writing long enough now to know that every three or four books I have to start a new direction.

The opening novel of the 'Bayou Trilogy' was the first one I finished.

It's not always to the benefit of the story to have it so preordained.

I didn't really expect to be coming to the Oscars.