One Of The Reasons I Write Is

I Am Interested In Levels Of Brain Discourse. How Articulate Are The Voices In Your Head? You Know, There's A Different Voice For The Phone, And A Different Voice If You're Talking In Bed. When You're Starting Off With A Narrator, It's Interesting To Think, Where Is Their Voice Coming From, What Part Of Their Brain?

I Do Wish I Could Write Like Some Of The American Women, Who Can Be Clever And Heartfelt And Hopeful; People Like Lorrie Moore And Jennifer Egan. But Ireland Messed Me Up Too Much, I Think, So I Can't.

I Became A Full-time Writer In 1993 And Have Been Very Happy, Insofar As Anybody Is, Since.

And, In Fact, This Is The Tale That I Would Love To Write: History Is Such A Romantic Place, With Its Jarveys And Urchins And Side-buttoned Boots. If It Would Just Stay Still, I Think, And Settle Down. If It Would Just Stop Sliding Around In My Head.

When I'm Working, I'm Not So Much Disciplined As Obsessive. I Have This Feeling That I Need To Clear Everything Away And Get This Down.