I'm interested in what the virtues of all those things are, especially for the kind of person who's made their own world that revolves around them, like writers do. It seems especially precious.

I really did not feel okay about any of this, and there was really nothing I could do about any of it.

I had a joint once and I didn't feel right for a whole year

I mean obviously we're all dealing with a lot more strangers due to the web. I'd say it has more to do with the quality of interactions. When you're physically interacting with someone, it forces you to be more present and probably a little more uncomfortable. You have to tolerate being outside the comfort of your own home.

It was a tiny sound but it woke me up because it was a human sound.

I realize that we all think we might be terrible people. But we only reveal this before we ask someone to love us. It is a kind of undressing.

That's the artist's job, really: continually setting yourself free, and giving yourself new options and new ways of thinking about things.