Safe from the Neighbors is a novel of unusual richness and depth, one that's as wise about the small shocks within a marriage as it is about the troubled history of Mississippi. Steve Yarbrough is a formidably talented novelist, shuttling between the past and present with a grace that feels effortless.
Tom PerrottaI'm not sure that it's possible to write a novel about people who don't transgress or stumble, people who don't surprise themselves with the things they do, people who can explain all their actions with perfect logical consistency. At least it's not possible for me to write that sort of novel.
Tom PerrottaNothing beats novel writing because it's complete expression of you. You just control everything. Not even a movie director has that level of control.
Tom PerrottaTo this day, sheโs still sad. Because thereโs not some finite amount of pain inside us. Our bodies and minds just keep manufacturing more of it. Iโm just saying that I took the pain that was inside of her at that moment and made it my own. And it didnโt hurt me at all.
Tom PerrottaShe would be a mentor and an inspiration to girls like herself, the quiet ones who'd sleepwalked their way through high school, knowing nothing except that they couldn't possibly be happy with any of the choices the world seemed to be offering them.
Tom Perrotta