I think when you get to export your creative impulse into something, it kind of lessens that busy energy that can be so confrontational and pissy.

Every step was a victory. He had to remember that.

When somebody you've known for 20 years, and with whom you have a full context, winks at you or whatever, it can be huge. I think in a sense what you're trying to re-create in fiction is that.

America, to me, should be shouting all the time, a bunch of shouting voices, most of them wrong, some of them nuts, but please, not just one droning glamourous reasonable voice.

I'm very happy - if I can do even a little bit of work to get the short story out more, I'm thrilled.

I understand what something short should be like. I understand beauty in that form. If I start extending, somehow I kind of lose my bearings.

I've also found that trying to be active with social media changes my moment-to-moment perceptions. Instead of feeling, "What's the deepest version of what's happening here?" I start to feel, "How can I use [or "claim"] this?".