As a kid, I had a real fascination with perverse, off-color, and kind of risky things, and I also had a very sanctimonious Catholic, purist side.

Your first responsibility is to yourself and to your own goodness of heart.

If you bring forth what is within you, it will save you. If you do not bring it forth, it will destroy you.

Developing our sympathetic compassion is not only possible but the only reason for us to be here on earth.

All storytelling is kind of that - there's a bit of text that you put pressure on that spits out some desire that a character has and then you follow that. The other part is that every scene raises an expectation in the reader's mind - that's part of its job is to make you look in and be curious.

I try to keep my artistic opinions not so much "to myself" but "on myself."

The generalizing writer is like the passionate drunk, stumbling into your house mumbling: I know I'm not being clear, exactly, but don't you kind of feel what I'm feeling?