I was loosely aware that most of my characters were fundamentally selfish people, but I didn't intentionally make that a theme.

From beginning to end, the novel [Dissemblers] took about three and a half years to write. I didn't write it chronologically.

I did make several trips to the very wonderful [Georgia] O'Keeffe museum. Besides the art (my favorite paintings are from her Pelvis series) my favorite thing about the museum is the architecture. I love how enormously tall the doors are - it is like going into a church. There is also something home-like about the layout of the museum. I wish I could live there!

Yet [Georgia O'Keeffe ] always stayed true to her vision, and was at times uncompromising in following the path she saw for herself.

I started writing about New Mexico in an autobiography class I was taking for school, and realized that it was very inspiring place for me.

I lived in New Mexico until I was seventeen, and honestly I've been homesick ever since I left.

I was only loosely aware of [Georgia] O'Keeffe's work. Primarily, I had seen her famous paintings of skulls with flowers, which are not my favorite. I didn't really become familiar with her work until after I started writing the book, but the more I learned about her the more I admired her.