But I was the most unashamed lone parent you were ever going to meet.

There was a point where I really felt I had 'penniless divorcee lone parent' tattooed on my head.

What's coming will come and we'll just have to meet it when it does.

When people are very damaged, they can often meet the world with a kind of defiance.

Bigotry is probably the thing I detest most.

The most important thing is to read as much as you can, like I did. It will give you an understanding of what makes good writing and it will enlarge your vocabulary.