My washing machine overwhelms me with its options and its sophistication.

It's an interesting thing to be in your forties and evaluate success and take ownership of some disasters and some pain and try to forgive a little bit - yourself and others.

On a fundamental level - I know so many women in their 30s who didn't get married, or they did and it didn't work out, or they didn't have children because they were trying to get their careers going, or because they were expected to be independent, plus have a family. They didn't feel secure enough.

I don't think it takes a brain surgeon to understand how to read a story.

But I had a very traditional background as well. My parents are neat people.

I'm lucky to have been raised in the most beautiful place - Amherst, Massachusetts, state of my heart. I'm more patriotic to Massachusetts than to almost any place.

I still love the people I’ve loved, even if I cross the street to avoid them.