Unfortunately, I'm one of those idiots who knows everything about health and is in a constant state of alarm, and yet I continue to do everything I shouldn't do.

A lot of writing is a form of seeing - putting down what you see in terms of action and landscape.

Oh, God, I don't know what's more difficult, life or the English language.

For me, books have always been a way to feel less alone while being alone. Perhaps if I was depressed and isolated, just communicating with these authors through their sentences helped me.

Then again, the name, the associations with a writer's name, can add to the reader's entertainment and pleasure.

I've really never written about my relationships, or things like that. I wouldn't want to divulge things that were too private.

Don't hold me to anything in the book. I'm a waffler. I like wafflers. They said John Kerry was a waffler, but I admired him for that - showed he could change his mind.