I do not outline. There are writers I know and count as my friends who certainly do it the other way but for me part of the adventure is not knowing how it's going to turn out.

The silence was part of the story I wanted to tell.

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.

For a parent, it's hard to recognize the significance of your work when you're immersed in the mundane details. Few of us, as we run the bath water or spread the peanut butter on the bread, proclaim proudly, "I'm making my contribution to the future of the planet." But with the exception of global hunger, few jobs in the world of paychecks and promotions compare in significance to the job of parent.

The big dramas that fascinate me are the quiet ones that happen behind closed doors in so-called ordinary families.

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

Many women my age have known the experience of giving up crucial parts of themselves to please the man they love.