We were talking before you turned the tape on about my stay in Seattle and how I ended up in this punked- out lounge at 4 a.m. I've done a fair amount of it on this book tour and I plan to continue doing it. At the same time, when I'm actually writing, I have to lead a very disciplined lifestyle. I get my most creative work done in the morning, as soon as I get out of bed and grab a cup of coffee. That's why I like New Journalism.
Most journalism still maintains that pretense, which is bullshit.
Objectivity doesn't exist. You might have started by asking me about where I was born and where I grew up and my expertise in China, but instead you're asking me what I find sexy about younger men. That's a subjective choice, and I believe that subjectivity should all be out in the open. What's enjoyable about writing fiction is that it's total subjectivity. You make all of the choices, you have no boundaries except the ones you set yourself.