I think of myself as a realistic writer, not a creator of soap opera or melodrama.

I have long observed that the act of writing is viewed, by some, as an elite and otherworldly act, all the more so if a person isn't paid for what she writes.

A person who deserves my loyalty receives it.

No, I said. I didn't remember that. There was so much to remember, sometimes the best thing was to forget.

I was giving a speech one time, and the woman who introduced me said, 'Well, she used to be J. D. Salinger's girlfriend. I thought, 'God, is that all I've been?' I didn't want to be reduced to that.

The portrait of my parents is a complicated one, but lovingly drawn.

Although Salinger had long since cut me out of his life completely and made it plain that he had nothing but contempt for me, the thought of becoming the object of his wrath was more than I felt ready to take on.