The roundness of life's design may be a sign that there is a presence beyond ourselves.

I thought about how love was always the thing that did that - smashed into you, left you raw. The deeper you loved, the deeper it hurt.

I am a plodder, I make an appointment with my computer everyday and I have no idea where I am going.

I love revising. If you demystify the process, it comes down to four strategies: what can I do to make the draft better; what should I cut out to make it stronger; what do I need to do to clarify it; and finally, what should I reposition.

I think I write fiction for the opportunity to get beyond the limits of my own life.

I like to be surprised. The best writing is when it defies me, when it starts going a different way than I had planned.

Take what people give you. Drink their milkshakes.