"I don't write literary fiction - I write books that are entertaining, but are also, I hope, well-constructed and thoughtful and funny and have things to say about men and women and families and children and life in America today."

"Money is a tremendous advantage in just about everything, but in terms of reproduction, if you're a poor woman and you are infertile, it's like too bad, so sad. And if you are a wealthy woman, you can kind of buy whatever you want."

"People say I'm not good at writing about men. My dad left when I was 16. Give me a break. I'm doing the best I can."

"The difference between people who believe they have books inside of them and those who actually write books is sheer cussed persistence - the ability to make yourself work at your craft, every day - the belief, even in the face of obstacles, that you've got something worth saying."

"Do not wait for favorable winds; take the oars and row toward your horizon. Remember this in moments of decisive trial."

"I began revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I do it with 10 or 15 and absolute faith. It does not matter how small you are if you have faith and plan of action."

"When I was a kid, we sat around the house. If I got bored, I'd have to figure out something to do."

"You can't build a reputation on what you are going to do."