Men exist on the planet. We have to deal with them at some point.

Feminism now seems to be defined as success is defined: as being as good at capitalism as men are. I feel very estranged from it.

I understand maybe some people are more impressionable than my hard, cynical self, but maybe they need to figure out how to be less of that.

I was twenty-one when I was hired by Planned Parenthood. It was my first work experience outside of either temping or working for my father at his store.

Once you leave, you're no longer of that country, but you are never actually of the country that you go to, and if you go back, you're not anywhere. You never belong to anything.

American culture never necessarily made sense to me, but they should warn you: leaving comes with a huge sense of alienation that never goes away.

Talk to people who know more than you. I feel like we're in this stupid sea of opinion, like "My opinion is valid because it's mine and I have it."

You don't have to go to New York and you don't have to go to LA or London. Go somewhere cheap. Go somewhere with free art museums and then just go to art museums.

Go to a place and just send out emails. That's my entire life. I go to countries and I ask, "Who would I know who lives here?" Not even do I know, but who exists and is on the planet.

There's this resistance to actually talking to people who are smarter than you about things and I don't know why that is.

I knew my motivations for going to each place and what I was looking for. If I don't do that then I generally don't write about my travels.

Woman is not made to be the admiration of all, but the happiness of one.

Be weary of the selfish givers, those who do something for a hidden fee.

Horses ... horses made me happy, complete. Then and there in the middle of some state, in a wild state of being, I vowed I would own a horse again.

Know that you are constantly surrounded by unconditional love.

And I remember "normal" might never be the same again.

Some of the best fiction writers got their start writing airline menus.

Once writing has become your major vice and greatest pleasure only death can stop it.

No matter how honestly you open up to someone, there are still things you cannot reveal.

There's only one remedy for crime — get rid of the psychs! They are causing it!

Shale gas, if left to flourish, could create several hundred thousand more jobs.