I've been told by people who write historical novels that you just sort of write the emotional truth first, the story at the core, and then you go back and research it at the end.

You can quit smoking, and never have to have a cigarette again to survive. But with food, it is a daily challenge.

I just think structure can make a book feel so much bigger. It's the architecture. You could use flimsy materials if you wanted to, even, but it could still feel big.

I'm not that much of a researcher. I'm good at channeling characters, and I'm good at structure.

I smoked for many years like a total idiot.

Maybe just as many women writers as male writers could be billed as the next great American writer by their publisher. Maybe book criticism sections could review an equal amount of female and male writers. Maybe Oprah could start putting some books by women authors in her book club, since most of her audience is women.

With apologies to all my past boyfriends, I never loved a man the way I loved my old apartment.