Intellectually, I know I am worthy, however arbitrary a thing worthiness is, and have always been worthy.

I never imagined that I would be the kind of person who is recognized when I am out and about just living my life.

Feminism has neglected the needs of woman of color and people of color in general. But I don't think it means that we should overlook feminism as having nothing valuable to contribute.

We don't all have to believe in the same feminism. Feminism can be pluralistic so long as we respect the different feminisms we carry with us, so long as we give enough of a damn to try to minimize the fractures among us. Feminism will better succeed with collective effort, but feminist success can also rise out of personal conduct.

My dad is a workaholic so I take after him in this respect.

I thought a lot about how so many memoirs about fatness focus on weight loss; they don't focus on living with weight in a world that is rather inhospitable to it. So I knew that was the idea that was going to be most interesting and most challenging, and I like to be challenged as a writer.

Readers need to stop assuming characters are white if race isn't explicitly defined.