Grief was like a seizure that shook me like a storm.

America is the most violent democracy in the world. It's something that's met with great shock, horror, and mystery when I travel to other countries. They ask, Why are there so many shootings in America? Why does everyone own a gun?

In my forties, my optimism was boundless. I had really good health and tremendous success which allowed me to do anything I wanted.

Even when I am writing I usually take a break around lunchtime and go for a little walk to clear out my head.

Life brings with it strangeness and surprises and upsets

And suddenly the world was filled with wooden faces and flat voices - and, you were alone.

On the last morning of Virginia's bloodiest year since the Civil War, I built a fire and sat facing a window of darkness where at sunrise I knew I would find the sea.