I've Met Little Meanness, Wherever I Went.

From The Age Of Six I Wanted To Be An Artist. At That Point I Meant A Painter, But It Turned Out What I Really Meant Was I Was Someone Who Was Very Interested In Watching The World And Making Copies Of It.

Writing Is A Fearsome But Grand Vocation—potentially Healing But Likewise Deadly. I Wouldn’t Trade My Life For The World.

Life Is Short And Often Stingy; Feast The Heart With What It Craves, Short Of Cruelty, And Let The World Wonder.

As A Child I Thought It Was Very Boring When I Had To Sit With [my Mother] On The City Streets, But The Time Sank Deep And Surfaced Later.

You Have To Realize That Your Work Is Done By Your Body, And If Your Body Is In Very Bad Health, It's Not Going To Work For You No Matter How Young You Are. So, I'm A Bit Of An Athletic Coach When It Comes To Trying To Respect My Body's Needs And Tendencies, And When I Teach Students, I Try And Persuade Them Of The Same.