It can be kind of gruesome at times, making things alone.

I moved to New York in the 1970s and started writing when I was at the Whitney Museum Independent Study Program.

I really like doing the laundry, because I succeed at it. But I loathe putting it away. It is already clean.

I seldom have my stuff up unless I'm testing it. If I'm worrying about a painting, I put it up and see if I detest it quickly or slowly. Otherwise I have things by other artists.

I get up about four times a night and go back to sleep, or not. Then I swill tea around 8 a.m. I answer e-mail, while I stall thinking about whatever scares me.

Lack of charisma can be fatal.

It's important to keep life simple, and if I'm traveling, I only can do a couple of things, and those are the things that I'm meant to be doing.