What is your idea of perfect happiness? Clarity when I am writing.

What is your greatest fear? Collapse of the imagination.

If you could choose what to come back as, what would it be? A long-distance runner.

What is your most treasured possession? My wedding ring, a plain gold band.

What is your favorite journey? Entering the pages of a great book and gliding through the mind of the author.

What is your greatest regret? Not spending more time with my mother, sitting in the kitchen, drinking coffee, and listening attentively to her stories.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? My late husband, Fred “Sonic” Smith, remains the love of my life.

When and where were you happiest? Tramping through the woods in South Jersey in 1957 with my dog Bambi.

Which historical figure do you most identify with? Thomas Paine.

Which living person do you most admire? The artist Gerhard Richter.

What is your greatest extravagance? I love coats and don’t need any more, but I am always tempted by a fine tweed.

What do you dislike most about your appearance? I’m okay with what I’ve been dealt.

Which talent would you most like to have? The ability to play piano like Nina Simone.

What is your current state of mind? Concern for the displaced.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would love to have a better sense of physical balance.

If you could change one thing about your family, what would it be? My brother, Todd, who passed away at 42, would still be with us.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? That I am still alive and still working.

What do you regard as the lowest depth of misery? Feeling powerless to relieve the suffering of others.

Where would you like to live? In the Rothko Chapel.

What is your favorite occupation? My personal choice is writer.

What do you most value in your friends? Intelligence and trustworthiness.

Who are your favorite writers? I have too many to name, but my favorite living author is César Aira; he’s a genius.

Who is your favorite hero of fiction? Joseph Knecht, the Magister Ludi in The Glass Bead Game.

Who are your heroes in real life? Those who spend the lion’s share of their lives in service to others, such as Jimmy Carter, Ralph Nader, and Greta Thunberg.

How would you like to die? With sound mind, able to express gratitude.

What is your motto? Do good work.

What is your most marked characteristic? Guts.