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I began in an era where four-letter words were not allowed.

Mum's serial misbehavior over the years had driven me, despairing, to write her scolding - occasionally scalding letters.

I had a mother I could only seem to please with verbal accomplishments of some sort or another. She read constantly, so I read constantly. If I used words that might have seemed surprising at a young age, she would recognize that and it would please her.

People write me letters and say I should answer them. But I don't like to answer letters. I don't write letters. I've never written my mother one.

Mum's the word.

Mother is far too clever to understand anything she does not like.

Trying to impress my mother with words was one of my favourite pursuits.

I don't know if my mother was a narcissist - or bi-polar or borderline. Those were words she tossed around over the years.

I hate it when everybody thinks I'm a... what's the word, a marauding mother! It's bigger than that.

I write a letter to my mother every day, because in that letter, I write down my day. And if I don't write it down, then tomorrow I will forget it and it's gone.