If there's an enduring theme in my work, it's probably the effects of class on American life.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Class is something I know about. I've lived it every day of my life, and it shaped me in my identity.
The point of my work is to show that culture and education aren't simply hobbies or minor influences. They are hugely important in the affirmation of differences between groups and social classes and in the reproduction of those differences.
Classes struggle, some classes triumph, others are eliminated. Such is history; such is the history of civilization for thousands of years.
The point of my work is to show that culture and education aren't simply hobbies or minor influences.
Maybe a theme that touches all of my work is people reinventing themselves.
In the U.K., there is a sort of obsession with class.
Basically, I'm motivated to write about sociopolitical issues as well as relationships. I think those themes have stayed with me throughout my life.
I was always drawn to teachers who made class interesting. In high school, I enjoyed my American and English literature classes because my teachers, Jeanne Dorsey and Dani Barton, created an environment where interaction was important.
I believe that Britain is becoming more class-conscious, and I quake at the very idea of Old Etonians ruling the world again.
Themes around education and learning run through my work.