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

Men exist on the planet. We have to deal with them at some point.

I believe in free will.

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.

I never asked anybody to take me seriously.

I have yet to get sued. My father thinks I should get liability insurance.

There's this resistance to actually talking to people who are smarter than you about things and I don't know why that is.