Women still get angry at me. I mean, men go after me sometimes, but most of the bad responses come from women.

I don't think that if I had spent the time that I was in, say, Belgrade, writing about my time in Trieste, which is where I had just been, that would have been productive. I told myself: take extensive notes while you're there, do the research part of it, and then pray, pray, the muses will be available when the actual 'ready' happens.

My belief that the publishing industry is run by prigs and cowards dates back to many years before I even had the idea for the book.

I think American literature is in a tedious place, horrible place. I can't even engage with it.

Most of what I do is for creative people - writers and painters and photographers - trying to work through creative problems.

I don't tell clients what to do. I don't even really tell them what the future is.

I like European and South American literature, but mostly I read nonfiction.