When I was in graduate school, I had a teacher who said to me, 'Women writers should marry somebody who thinks writing is cute. Because if they really realised what writing was, they would run a mile.'

Humor comes from the surprise release of some buried tension.

You know, I'm just a very boring, not very funny person in person. I don't feel pressured to be otherwise.

I don't sit down to write a funny story. Every single thing I sit down to write is meant to be sad.

When I was in graduate school, I had a teacher who said to me, 'Women writers should marry somebody who thinks writing is cute. Because if they really realised what writing was, they would run a mile.'

Everything one reads is nourishment of some sort - good food or junk food - and one assumes it all goes in and has its way with your brain cells.