Whenever I sign books, I get this line over and over again from men: "I don't read fiction, but my wife does. Would you sign the book to her?" What are those men doing there? And where are their wives?

Demonstration of mastery gives a feeling of power and that feeling of power is a good feeling.

Reading is a private pursuit; one that takes place behind closed doors.

That night as I lay in bed, I thought of several things I could have said and mourned the fact that my wit usually bloomed late, peaking when it no longer mattered, during the solitary hours close to midnight.

Many writers over the centuries simply do not have the reputations they deserve because they were female, and that is an act of suppression.

Memory changes as a person matures.

Being a mother is complicated because its not just a paternal culture making demands on you; its those internal demands and expectations that women have and are self-generated.