Once you leave, you're no longer of that country, but you are never actually of the country that you go to, and if you go back, you're not anywhere. You never belong to anything.

I don't think that if I had spent the time that I was in, say, Belgrade, writing about my time in Trieste, which is where I had just been, that would have been productive. I told myself: take extensive notes while you're there, do the research part of it, and then pray, pray, the muses will be available when the actual 'ready' happens.

I never asked anybody to take me seriously.

I have yet to get sued. My father thinks I should get liability insurance.

I like European and South American literature, but mostly I read nonfiction.

I don't behave the way people necessarily want me to, but I tried behaving that other way for a short period of time and it didn't take.

I don't tell clients what to do. I don't even really tell them what the future is.

Feminism now seems to be defined as success is defined: as being as good at capitalism as men are. I feel very estranged from it.

A wild appreciation of men and women . . . who passionately and fearlessly and recklessly redefine romance. . . . The passionate creatures who refuse to play it safe and settle down now have an intelligent, like-minded advocate.

Men exist on the planet. We have to deal with them at some point.

I don't think you can write an experience as you're having it without being an idiot.

I don't think that I can be settled and I don't think that I would ever want to be.

Just send the emails and talk to people. Spend all your money on nail polish and opera tickets.

I knew my motivations for going to each place and what I was looking for. If I don't do that then I generally don't write about my travels.

Talk to people who know more than you. I feel like we're in this stupid sea of opinion, like My opinion is valid because it's mine and I have it.

I mean, many times your creative problem is accidentally your personal problem, but it's not quite the same.

I understand maybe some people are more impressionable than my hard, cynical self, but maybe they need to figure out how to be less of that.

I was twenty-one when I was hired by Planned Parenthood. It was my first work experience outside of either temping or working for my father at his store.