Quote

I try not to think about writers who came before me when I'm writing myself. If I did, given the abundance of literary talent Scotland - and Edinburgh in particular - has bestowed upon the world, I wouldn't be able to get as much as a sentence written.

The establishment, the newspapers, they try to create something called Scottish literature, but when people are actually going to write, they are not going to necessarily prescribe to that, they'll write what they feel.

Lots of my writing can be accurately called lesbian, but I myself am queer and date people of all genders.

I'm as Scottish as they come.

I don't buy into the idea that an Irish writer should write about Ireland, or a gay writer should write about being gay.

Everyone still thinks I'm Scottish - that's totally wicked.

I'm Scottish first, and it's odd to hear that I'm a Scottish-American.

I feel so Scottish when I go abroad, and I'm so proud of it, but for me, it's not a political statement - I just happen to be Scottish.