The first generation of Russian terrorists came out of the '60s counterculture - the 1860s in Russia bearing a striking similarity to the 1960s in the United States, with Russian students growing their hair, following gurus who extolled the 'new man,' and starting communes.

The first time I dedicated myself to resurrecting and preserving somebody's memories was with my great-uncle. I knew he was going to die in the next few years, and I had grown up listening to all his stories about people who had been trapped or chased by the Nazis. I began to record them.

The Dumas memoirs - which I also discovered when I was a kid - had a big impact on me.

The demons you have are what motivate you to make your art. This is what drives the detective, this is what drives the painter, this is what drives the writer: a conflicting urge to forget pain and at the same time remember it and fight for some kind of justice. I know these powerful things are inside of me and everyone in some way or another.

I'm a very stubborn woman and I'm from a very stubborn family of headstrong women. I have sisters, so the women rule the coop in my house.

If I started being braggy, my family would be like, 'Shut up, Maisie! Who cares? Get off the sofa.'

For me, nothing has ever taken precedence over being a mother and having a family and a home.

My family's very medical, so as a field, that, I think, it's so important and wonderful, something I'm definitely interested in. Just not for a living!