'I'm sure it happens to people in other professions too, though."You don't want to open him up there, Doc; you should go in through the stomach!"'

I'm sure it happens to people in other professions too, though."You don't want to open him up there, Doc; you should go in through the stomach, much less messy!"

'I almost always default to the Voyage and Return story; is this because this kind of story is a story I'm telling myself, about myself? '

I almost always default to the Voyage and Return story; is this because this kind of story is a story I'm telling myself, about myself? And that it is important to me?

'For me, writing real stories or stories based on truth is a more responsible job; it requires skill and authenticity.'

For me, writing real stories or stories based on truth is a more responsible job; it requires skill and authenticity, as much as possible based on whatever information you can obtain.

'I'm avoiding the thousand yard stare of the blank page; I'm afraid of it. This is how it is before a work has taken shape, before it's found a life of its own.'

I'm avoiding the thousand yard stare of the blank page; I'm afraid of it. This is how it is before a work has taken shape, before it's found a life of its own. I stall because I'm wary of beginning the long journey.

'Wharton's own life, so comfortable that she secretly bailed out Henry James in his old age. He never knew. I've always admired her for that.'

Wharton's own life, so comfortable that she secretly bailed out Henry James in his old age. He never knew. I've always admired her for that.

'Many times I've said I've had I enough, I'm getting a real job; I can't take the uncertainty anymore. Then I get an idea.'

Many times I've said I've had I enough, I'm getting a real job; I can't take the uncertainty anymore. Then I get an idea. I write it down and I'm away from the world. I'm in my own universe where I'm in charge.

'We don't have a name but we do have a reputation among local book groups as the most badly behaved. '

We don't have a name but we do have a reputation among local book groups as the most badly behaved. It's true that we're not the most organised of groups.

'New Guinea is not at all a childish dream; West Papua is not at all a childish dream. It is a call. You are perfectly right to answer it.'

"New Guinea is not at all a childish dream; West Papua is not at all a childish dream. It is a call. You are perfectly right to answer it". I went.

'When I first heard a poet read, in a chemistry laboratory at Newcastle University, he was Ted Hughes; his gruff Yorkshire voice threw me onto a frosty moor.'

When I first heard a poet read, in a chemistry laboratory at Newcastle University, he was Ted Hughes; his gruff Yorkshire voice threw me onto a frosty moor. I could see horses. Hear horizons.

'At sixteen, they took me to the National where I fell in love with Rosencrantz, totally unaware that also on stage were both my future husbands.'

At sixteen, they took me to the National where I fell in love with Rosencrantz, totally unaware that also on stage were both my future husbands.