We've Been Hearing About The Death Of

I Don't Want To Have My Life Fall Apart For My Work.

I Think It's Dangerous To Think You Know What You're Writing. I Usually Don't Know, And Usually I Just Discover It In The Course Of Writing. I Envy Those Writers Who Can Outline A Beginning, A Middle, And End. Fitzgerald Supposedly Did It. John Irving Does. Bret Easton Ellis Does. But For Me, The Writing Itself Is The Process Of Discovery. I Can't See All That Far Ahead.

Sometimes I Think The Difference Between What We Want And What We're Afraid Of Is About The Width Of An Eyelash.

Tim Thornton's Portrait Of A Pop Culture Obsession Is So Convincing That One Can't Help Wishing That His Fictional Alt Rock Band Actually Existed, Or Suspecting That They Did. The Alternative Hero Is A Weirdly Compelling Portrait Of Fanatic Fandom Which Reads Like High Fidelity At High Volume.

Most Novelists I Know Went Through A Period Of Intense Self-examination And Self-loathing After The Terrorist Attacks On The World Trade Center. I Certainly Did.