The sound of words in a novel is a pretty amazing thing, and I am concerned with the sound of every word I write.

the first step in claiming yourself is anger. You get mad. And you can't do anything before you get angry. And I recommend getting very angry to everyone, anyone.

When I'm writing, I think about the garden, and when I'm in the garden I think about writing. I do a lot of writing by putting something in the ground.

I would pretend when I was a child that I was Charlotte Brontë, because I'd read Jane Eyre when I was ten and, although I didn't understand it, I loved the idea that this woman had written a book. I wanted to be her.

Every time I end a book, I look down at myself.

None of us seem to think that we should draw a line under what would be a satisfactory amount of wealth.

I am not aware of anything below my neck. I live completely in my head.