I found myself fascinated by neuroscience, attended a monthly lecture on brain science at the New York Psychoanalytic Institute, and was invited to become a member of a discussion group devoted to a new field: neuropsychoanalysis. Siri Hustvedt attendbraindevote share on social
Flashbacks rarely involve language. Mine certainly didn't. They were visual, motor, and sensory, and they took place in a relentless, horrifying present. Siri Hustvedt flashbackhorrifyinvolve Change image and share on social
I'd been writing poems for many years, but most of them I didn't like. Then, when I was 23, I wrote one I did like, sent it to 'The Paris Review' - the highest publication I could think of - and they accepted it. No other moment in my literary life has quite come close to that. Siri Hustvedt acceptclosehigh share on social
When I don't get enough sleep, I am cranky, vulnerable to headaches, and my concentration is poor. Siri Hustvedt concentrationcrankyheadach Change image and share on social
It's not as if I've been unlucky. My books have been published and reviewed. I haven't lived through terrible literary suffering! Siri Hustvedt bookhaveliterary Change image and share on social
I have a tendency to face my bad fantasies in my books. Siri Hustvedt badbookface Change image and share on social
It is tempting to think of this form of insomnia, the inability to fall asleep, as a disease of agency and control: the inability to relinquish high self-reflexive consciousness for the vulnerable, ignorant regions of slumber in which we know not what we do. Siri Hustvedt agencyasleepconsciousness share on social
Every mental state is also physical. Siri Hustvedt mentalphysicalstate Change image and share on social
In August of 2002, I survived a car accident. Although I can still see the van speeding toward us, I cannot bring to mind the crash itself - only its aftermath. Siri Hustvedt accidentaftermathaugust Change image and share on social
It's hard to penetrate characters who are very cut off and lack empathy and to do it with sympathy. It's so easy to make a damaged character repugnant. Siri Hustvedt charactercutdamage Change image and share on social
