I am very interested in place, and the influences of place on characters.

My grandfather and I were very close.

At the end of the day, it's about the reader's attachment to and belief in the magical elements that make or break magical realism.

You never know what's going to happen in your life, and you never know what's going to happen in someone else's life either.

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.

I grew up in Cyprus and Egypt, these fantastic places I remember fondly.

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