I didn't know anything about writers. It never occurred to me they were regular people and that I could grow up to become one, even though I loved to make up stories inside my head.

Ideas come from everywhere - they come from what you see and hear and imagine.

Isn't that interesting. All the book clubs. I've never belonged to one.

My insides still turn over when he looks at me that certain way.

My mother never talked about sex. I was on the Dr. Ruth [ Westheimer] show once - this is years and years and years ago - and it was her Mother's Day show. And I didn't know what we were going to talk about but what she decided we were going to talk about was female masturbation. My mother had invited all her girlfriends. And you know these were all women in their late seventy's maybe they were in their eighty's by then and then and they were horrified because Dr Ruth had a little she had a little chart up you know "female masturbation".

She wondered if all the firsts in her life would go by so quickly, and be forgotten just as quickly.

I'm an e-mail junkie though I'm trying to read my in-box only twice a day and to answer all at once.