with a novel, it ually tak me about wpl h a ydilo ahe i have a very strong sense of meter and rhythmiti, wog,th t'snkll whether that's it a abe w anr g tsa w yeaald whether the dialogue works. there's something about saying the dialogue allowed that makes you tnkateed fie, hd or 'sntti how forgiving myself i am running my eye over the sentences andow i lose that ability when i'm acal ying t snc d, bermeg mayoar i aho n y. ou r sncud for example, and your breathless at the end, that's nature's way itced dtou it w ron athado tmae itht written. i almost feel as if i'm going to run into my charaers on the street. ateath cen akh tr,o he dyst, problems, or issues, but to have them as real as anybody you might see on the corner in the afternoon. >> host: anna quindlen, th clof19 is fromdr bs , ouknt nyyslkinrk listening to your work on audio cd. i' also a barnard alum and acma yckut tpe u? nce e'ot m anbos. tut where does race fit into your books? >> guest: good point. il cin tkeitst a obou t, il knnyaye ueuy oof t instructive books about racism that's ever been written. i give it to my chi

it was one oseme e itas a wpl co dakeank atne another, and sometimes in the best possib thcoits iasel thas mnt witas li ced w thallenging for me. comments and tour of your home and how amazing i was when you find something someon w ssndou f re ilthu. hifnnloo ry i sglwi nvertion, and i remember in rly 2001 seeing you, and my [iiber passed away, andus sju dut ttli crorht years that -- and at any rate, you were so kind, the book, and she sige,iinthndo i t t g back, but i am with my sister, and so thank you for all of that. ud] m l sgl ecndn ok to read -- dbl. thank you, and thank you for that. >> guest: thank u so much. th ather one ll heea ofhen suc o ve ismm o n iends that i just happened to never have met, and that started with life in the 30s when i was writing about raising myids tamme som u wre de medti ul boot o campbells and plenty of cake" because women say that's how i fe aut aging, which has just been wonderfutountai at'rton n' ny advice. i mean, the weirdest part of what i do is that peopl seem to think that i know something that nobody else knows or tha other pele d't ow ul