"“I don’t think I was a particularly good or diligent mother. It took a long time for the obvious to become obvious: I…"

"“This has always bothered me, the division: as though there was something about women who write that is very different.”"

"“The construction of short stories calls for a markedly different set of mind than work on a novel, and for me short …"

"“It’s kind of an old-fashioned book…It’s long; it has a lot of characters; it takes a big theme. It isn’t a navel-sta…"

"“Where a story begins in the mind I am not sure—a memory of haystacks, maybe, or wheel ruts in the ruined stone, the …"

"Quoyle, you got any maritime connections?' 'My grandfather was a sealer.' 'Jesus. You always come out at me out of le…"

"Dad, there's smoke coming out of the can and coming out of your mouth, too. How do you do that, daddy?"

"“I loathe interviews and getting me to sit still for a whole day is unprecedented.”"

"“Place and history are central to the fiction I write, both in the broad, general sense and in detailed particulars. …"

"“I have never fallen in love with one of my characters. The notion is repugnant. Characters are made to carry a parti…"