You felt it as a depth of ease in certain boys, their innate, affable assurance that they would not have to struggle for a place in the world; that is already reserved for them.

You don't teach information in a writing workshop.

Of course it's why you want to become a writer - because you have the liberty to do that, but once you have the liberty you also have the obligation to do it.

Because I don't have to be careful of people's feelings when I teach literature, and I do when I'm teaching writing.

It's probably why I'm a short story writer. I tend to remember things in the past in narrative form, in story form, and I grew up around people who told stories all the time.

Like so many writers I started writing stories because I didn't have much time for anything else.