Well, I think some people are very happy in retirement. And in a year and a half I'm going to see how happy I feel in retirement. I'm just going to not work quite so hard, but I'll continue to write as long as God gives me breath.

Food is a great way of communicating.

There's nothing trite about being consoled in a world that does everything in its power to deliver sorrow.

Writing is a way of processing our lives. And it can be a way of healing.

For my entire life, I have held the cards of my complicated family history very close to my chest.

I like to travel. I come from a travelling family.

I find my husband's family history fascinating, as they can trace the family lineage back to ancestors who fought, and died, in the first battle of the Revolution, as well as to many other interesting people.

Education, family, character, intelligence, humility, okay? These are the things that make a culture live.