In the end, long life is the reward, strength, and beauty.

I begin by writing paragraphs that don’t have an immediate relation to a plot. The sound of the story comes first.

I read a lot. I liked a tremendous number of poets and writers. The person whose work I liked the most was Joyce.

I was a fantastic student until ten, and then my mind began to wander.

To be modest means that you have something to be modest about.

I am very interested in people trying to write because I don't have a big academic background at all.

A lot of sad things have happened to my friends' children, people you knew as babies. They've been killed or become crazy or all kinds of tragic things. There are some people whose children haven't talked to them in fifteen years. There's all kind of meshugaas in this world.