Alice McDermott

A perfect poem you can't pin down and say, 'This is exactly what it meant to me.' It's not a self-help manual.

I'm not usually drawn to memoir - many run the risk of self-aggrandizement or score-settling.

Loss is inevitable - you have to be blind or naive to think otherwise.

I get asked all the time if I want to do more dramatic acting, and I really doubt that dramatic actors get asked if they want to do more comedies. I don't really know why that is.

When I do my makeup, it kind of helps me get into the character that I'm trying to portray.

Being famous gets me good concert tickets, good tables in restaurants, good seats at sporting events and that's really about it.