I love stories that give me a perspective on how easy American life has become in the 21st century.

I've seen a lot of the United States, having stayed in so many different cities and towns for work. It's such a strange and fascinating country, and instead of learning about it through a textbook, I would rather discover its history and traditions and institutions through fiction and nonfiction writers.

I travel all the time, and I have two small children.

I would do 'American Splendor' and 'About Schmidt' again in a heartbeat.

I like to work. I enjoy once a year, doing a film.

When my dad needed a shirt ironed, he would yell downstairs to my mother, who would drop everything and iron his shirt.

Every summer my husband and I pack our suitcases, load our kids into the car, and drive from tense, crowded New York City to my family's cottage in Maine. It's on an island, with stretches of sea and sandy beaches, rocky coasts, and pine trees. We barbecue, swim, lie around, and try to do nothing.

I haven't frequented a nail salon in a long time.

There's nothing I love more than a good cry.

You know how a lot of people say they could go crazy? Well, I feel I live very close to that line.

I'm not really high-strung now, but I was a very high-strung child.

I just love to make a whole roomful of people laugh.

I'm not at a point in my life when I'm analyzing too much.

Storytelling is what lights my fire.

I feel like I'm one of the happiest people I know.

I'm a New Yorker, and I rarely get to work at home.