When I moved to SF in my early 20s, I loved it, but I was absolutely astonished to discover that people there hated L.A. I was just like why? Really? I had no idea.

Everybody says, TV is great, the writer has so much power. I'm still trying to convince myself that's true. When do the writers ever have power? Ever? They don't. Even in the book industry.

Great books are written from a sense that there is nothing to lose.

Usually when people say they have mixed feelings about something, it's a sort of euphemistic way of saying they hate it.

I think being central to the culture is overrated. Who really gives a damn if something is popular? Jay-Z isn't actually any better than James Joyce even though more people understand him.

I sometimes get asked if I think about film stuff while I'm writing fiction, and the answer is, of course not.

I do have complicated feelings about Hollywood, but I also have tremendously affectionate ones.