Anne Tyler

I consciously try to end my novels at a point where I won't have to wonder about my characters ever again.

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.

I was a bit challenged when I was younger to stay on the right path.

It took me realizing that a broken heart has never actually killed anyone to find the courage to ask for what I want, in just about every situation. That was part of my own growing up.

But with each passing year and each new study, the evidence for the genetic contribution to individual and group differences becomes more firmly established than ever.