The knowledge that my discriminations are skewed and not always universally desirable doesn't stop me in the least from making them.

Confession makes you a more trustworthy narrator.

The essay is a wonderful medium. I might mention that some writers who longed to be novelists were better as essayists: Sontag, Baldwin, Vidal, Mary McCarthy, Mailer.

Domesticity has been a challenge for me but painful as it's been, engaging with family has been a school for reducing solipsism and increasing my understanding of people's different reactions to stress.

Have fun writing, because it enhances both the writer's and reader's experience.

The trick is to realize that one is not important, except insofar as one’s example can serve to elucidate a more widespread human trait and make readers feel a little less lonely and freakish.

Hedonism can be a rational response to a difficult life.