Claire Messud

The more accurately one can illuminate a particular human experience, the better the work of art.

I wanted to write a voice that for me, as a reader, had been missing from the chorus: the voice of an angry woman.

I believe that, in an ideal world, writers would feel free to write what matters to them without having to consider success, failure, the market, etc.

I've never been much of a joiner.

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.

I always had this non-stop drive. I had to keep sending stories out and every once in awhile I'd get something accepted or get the little trickle of positive feedback.