I come out of a strong oral tradition in the South.

You have to watch out with my plays. They're like yeast. You think they're one thing, then all of a sudden subtext gets to working.

Writing is the thing that props me up.

If I ever teach writing again, I’d say the first lesson is to listen.

When you're a writer, you have to write these stories, even if you don't get paid

I come out of a strong oral tradition in the South.

I'm a social writer in the sense that I want to record, but not in the sense of trying to change people's minds.