Writing is a desire or a need?
It is a desire. Though “the case of exploding mangos” actually was an urge. And you can call it spiritual if you will. When I start writing, I have an image but I have no idea what is going to happen next. It reveals itself to me, it unfolds. It is a way of amusing myself, it is the play I mentioned. Playing with thoughts, words, and you don’t know what will come. You just know when you’re done, when you cannot write anymore.

At times of challenge and difficulty, where do you find the energy, the anchor?
In my son. It is quite basic. Before that, I used to find it in drugs and sex I suppose, and poetry, music. Now it is my son.

If there was one question you could ask god, what would it be?
Why are You doing this?

If you were to be reincarnated, what would you like to be reincarnated as?
As my son I suppose, because I think he is much happier than I ever was at that age.

So what is your idea of happiness?
It is playing table tennis with someone who is as good as I am, and beat him by one point.