If someone had told me years ago that sharing a sense of humour was so vital to partnerships, I could have avoided a lot of sex!

Books have always helped me make sense of things. With any life experience, you can find someone who has documented it in a poetic way.

If I ever have sex with someone I might be able to develop a sense of humor.

Job-wise, I did have a moment of panic that I should have been a doctor a few years ago, but I hate when people vomit.

It's a very difficult thing losing a parent, but I think there's an added complication for me, because he was so well-loved and he had this very open charm that made people feel they had a personal relationship with him.

At Oxford University, I studied languages so I could read the great novels as they were originally written. I took what in the United States would be a double major in Russian and French, but I have to admit that the pressure of getting through so many books spoiled reading for me.