We're all entitled to our superstitions.

In the mess of moving from place to place, I skipped two grades in the space of one year.

Being taken seriously, for a young writer, is a wonderful form of encouragement, but at the same time, I don't think one should ever feel like attempting a kind of artistic endeavor is beyond your scope just because of age or inexperience.

In the end, all you want is someone to long for you when it comes time to put you in the ground.

death should be celebrated...when you put something in the ground you always know where it is

Suddenness," he says. " You do not prepare, you do not explain, you do not apologize. Suddenly, you go. And with you, you take all contemplation, all consideration of your own departure. All the suffering that would have come from knowing comes after you are gone, and you are not a part of it.

My road to publishing actually came through a colleague who connected me to my agent, and the faculty at Cornell was very supportive.