When you get into Louisiana, it really is like a different country in a lot of ways. The plants you see are a little different, like the weeping willows and the cypress trees that come up out of the bayou. And it's steamy hot.

I'm horrible at remembering names, embarrassingly bad.

In the country, it feels like you don't have control over nature anymore - nature is in control of you.

I used to work as a proofreader at Merrill Lynch.

Because I see my own boys growing, and I see other children growing and I just have such a connection.

I can't give a decent toast to save my life.

I listen to KCRW in the car and Pandora radio, which I stream through the stereo from my iPhone. I've been listening to everything from Caribou to Conway Twitty. If I'm going on a longer car ride, I'll download some podcasts.