Anne Tyler

But what I hope for from a book - either one that I write or one that I read - is transparency. I want the story to shine through. I don't want to think of the writer.

My decision to start a new one is just that, a decision, since I never get inspirations.

My family can always tell when I'm well into a novel because the meals get very crummy.

I really try, at least consciously, not to be cynical or ironic.

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

Another thing that freaks me out is time. Time is like a book. You have a beginning, a middle and an end. It's just a cycle.