Call me territorial or narcissistic, but I avoid novels about people who share my vocation.

My own life is wonderful, but if I had to live the life of someone else, I'd gladly choose that of Julia Child or Dr. Seuss: two outrageously original people, each of whom fashioned an idiosyncratic wisdom, passion for life, and sense of humor into an art form that anyone and everyone could savor.

My readers often tell me that what they admire about my books is my ability to write from so many points of view. My challenge to myself is whether I'll ever be able to write a novel just from one point of view. It seems impossible.

I was ridiculed in public school for being smart. A teacher's pet.

Marriage is not a magical potion that serves to amplify adoration, reduce deep-seated feelings of resentment, erase fears of commitment, or answer questions about whether or not this is the right move. Marriage is a ceremony that cements your current bond to another human being, and while that's a huge thing, that's all it does.

I don't think marriage is a civil right, but I think that being able to transfer property is a civil right.

People love to hate. I have a love-hate relationship with the world. The world loves to hate me.

I love what I do, but it is hard to have a personal relationship when you're never home.