“I still believe on some level that at the end, somebody will say, 'You get an A-…” — Claire Messud

If you know what you're doing, it's not interesting. It has to be a challenge; it has to seem impossible and urgent to do it. And then you do it.

We're all living in some state of illusion, even if modestly.

My husband had a stalker, briefly.

Don't go around asking the question, 'Is this character likeable?' and expect that to be compatible with serious literary endeavours. That's not what it's about.