Growing up as a product of the black civil-rights movement, I had a lot of different models for black weirdness, whether it's Richard Pryor or James Baldwin or Jimmy Walker.

Growing up devouring horror comics and novels, and being inspired to become a writer because of horror novels, movies, and comic books, I always knew I was going to write a horror novel.

I started writing in the '90s, so I was free to just have an eccentric career and not conform to some idea of what a black writer has to do. I didn't have the burden of representation.

For me, choosing between fiction and nonfiction is really only about picking the right tool for the job.

I was brought up in a family of leaders, and I think leadership is a life sentence. I like changing things that will shape the future.

A lot of women say to me, 'You know, I really hated you because my kids wanted you to be their mother.'

I think that discipline is so much of an important part of being a parent. Because it's very, very important to teach your children to take responsibility for their actions.

I'm still a Red Bull driver. I'm part of this family more than ever.