Not only did I avoid speaking of Salinger; I resisted thinking about him. I did not reread his letters to me. The experience had been too painful.

Every child, woman, and man should possess license to speak or sing in his or her true voice.

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.

I compromised my ability to tell my story, at the most basic level.

For 25 years, I did take my responsibilities as a pleaser of others sufficiently seriously.

There is a theme that runs through my work, and that is: the toxic property of keeping secrets.

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