I Don't Laugh That Much, But I

I Started Puberty Very Late. I Was Nearly Sixteen. And For Complicated Reasons This Late Arrival Of My Puberty Caused Me To Stop Playing Competitive Tennis. But Before My Puberty Problem, I Had Trouble With My Lower Back And With My Left Testicle.

I'm On The Verge Of A Total Breakdown. Sciatica. Taxes. Cars. Fleas, Possibly. It's An Absurd Existence.

It's Hard For Me To Think Of Writing A Novel, Because It Takes So Long.

I Don't Really Recognise Success. I Don't See Myself As On An Upwardly Mobile Trajectory. I See Myself As On The Edge Of A Cliff About To Fall Off.

For Me, Books Have Always Been A Way To Feel Less Alone While Being Alone.