Back Then, When Everybody Thought

When I Was Writing 'the Abstinence Teacher,' I Really Tried To Immerse Myself In Contemporary American Evangelical Culture.

A Screenwriter Heard Me Read From My Novel 'the Wishbones' When It Was Still In Progress And Mentioned Me To Some Producers In Hollywood. They Called, And I Told Them I Had A Novel In My Drawer About A High School Election That Goes Haywire. They Asked To Take A Look, And My Life Changed Pretty Dramatically As A Result.

Jill Felt An Emptiness Open Inside Of Her As She Lifted Her Arm, A Sense That Something Vital Was Being Subtracted From Her Life. It Was Always Like That When Somebody You Cared About Went Away, Even When You Knew It Was Inevitable, And It Probably Wasn't Your Fault.

When Things Don't Go Well, It Helps To Think Of Yourself As A Genius And The Rest Of The World As A Bunch Of Idiots.

Apparently Even The Most Awful Tragedies, And The People They'd Ruined, Got A Little Stale After A While.