Twenty years after we had left so fierce and proud, we were all right back where we had started, yoked to each other and the same old drama.

stories are the one sure way I know to touch the heart and change the world.

The bottom line is I'm writing to save the dead. I'm writing to save the people I have lost, some of whose bodies are still walking around.

When I was growing up, I always read horror books, while my sister read romance novels.

What's the best thing you can do for your writing? Construct a boring life.

Gravy is the simplest, tastiest, most memory-laden dish I know how to make: a little flour, salt and pepper, crispy bits of whatever meat anchored the meal, a couple of cups of water or milk and slow stirring to break up lumps.

I did not begin with craft, I began with strong feelings and worked toward craft.