After my first novel, my mother said to me, 'Why don't you make your writing more funny? You're so funny in person.' Because my first novel was rather dark. And I don't know, but something about what she said was true. 'Yes, why don't I?' Maybe I was afraid to be funny in the writing. But since then, seven books later, almost everything I've done has a comedic edge to it.

A lot of readers have actually helped me, been really sweet to me... So maybe my cry for help has sometimes been answered.

I am always the source of the worst rumors about myself.

For me, the past is dead. Can't go back.

I grew up in northern New Jersey - the banlieue of New York - and I now live in Brooklyn. I am separated from my parents by about 50 miles, but really there is almost no distance between us. I speak to them nearly every day.

The reason it's hard for me to tweet is I don't want to pronounce anything, and Twitter is for pronouncing.

I hid my underwear beneath a parked Peugeot.