"He's an underground, cult writer but he is by far my favourite author – every line is beautifully crafted. He was an ex-boxer, tough guy, and he used to sit on a bunch of bricks looking at the wall writing… he was a self-taught writer."

"Duras… There is no one like her, who speaks with such simple and yet high-flown authority. Her tone is Biblical, absolute. She brushes off mediocre narrative expectations, and with this novel, a critical moment in her extraordinary writing career, and life, made something entirely new."

"When I read a good book, I sometimes like to think I might be capable of writing something similar, but never, in my wildest dreams, could I write anything that approaches the level of cleverness and intellect and madness of Borges. I don’t think anyone could."

"Honestly, I could choose anything by Orwell. I read him as a teen and loved him. That advice of his about good prose being like a window pane? I always have that in the back of my mind. It jibes with how I instinctively feel about writing. "

"The character Sula was the first protagonist who made me feel okay with my own non-conformity, with the gray areas, with coloring outside the lines as a multiracial trans kid. Plus, Morrison’s writing about womanhood, convention and the fierce attachment of female friendship is astounding."

"This movie makes me think of my French producer, Claire. We watched it as reference for a script we were working on together. It’s a brutal film to be sure, but I only have warm associations attached to it now: days of wine, writing, and more wine."