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.

If a man wishes to truly not be written about, he would do well not to write letters to 18-year-old girls, inviting them into his life.

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.

I had known there had been a serial killer on Mount Tamalpais, and it felt so incongruous in such a beautiful, peaceful spot.

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

Imagine if you succeeded in making the world perfect for your children what a shock the rest of life would be for them.

When people ask what I write about, that's what I tell them: 'The drama of human relationships.' I'm not even close to running out of material.