Idea of the generations continuing is really important. And that's interesting to me. I write about families; I'm interested in families. Even though I think a family can be just two people or two people and a dog, I really wanted children for that reason.

I couldn't really experience being an author when I was still working in publishing - I was trying to negotiate being both. Sometimes the knowledge doesn't translate between the two roles.

I want to say that, in general, when it works, open adoption is great.

I feel sometimes like a book tour is a slow series of humiliations and that if you're strong you'll come out of it OK.

The past always sort of haunts us and perhaps inspires us in some ways.

My father is an economist who specialized in foreign food policy, and my mother worked for AID, a branch of the State Department, so food in regards to world affairs was talked about a lot.

I really don't feel that writing is therapy.