In becoming a citizen, one undertakes certain duties and responsibilities. One of the more intangible of those duties and responsibilities is no matter what one's birth and background, to accept the historical past of the new country as one's own.

There is nothing more inimical to writing than the spirit of fundamentalism. Fundamentalism abhors the play of signs, the endlessness of writing. Fundamentalism means nothing more or less than going back to an origin and staying there. It stands for one founding book and, thereafter, no more books.

Elizabeth, Lady C, claims to be writing at the limits of language. Would it not be insulting to her if I were diligently to follow after her, explaining what she means but is not smart enough to say?

The idea of writer as sage is pretty much dead today. I would certainly feel very uncomfortable in the role.

What I love about 'Modern Family' is that it makes you laugh, and there's hilarious physical gags that are outrageous, but there's real heart to it, and you feel good after you watch it.

If we fetishize trauma as incommunicable, then survivors are trapped - unable to feel truly known by their nonmilitary friends and family.

I wasn't looking to get into TV. My family was in the movie business, so I was never interested in that world.

The great lesson I got from my parents is how not to treat your children. To break that chain, even if I don't do anything else, at least I've done that.