Influences

• As an etiquette writer, I have had numerous influences -- chief among them are Judith Martin and Amy Vanderbilt, two people who are not only great social scientists but also awesomely gifted writers. As I now turn to writing more fiction and essays, I humbly count some of my favorite authors as influences -- among them are Christopher Isherwood and George Orwell, whom I admire for their pursuit of honesty in writing (a simple phrase but an amazing achievement). I'm inspired by social situations (both pleasant and awkward), by urban life, by strange coincidences, and by the natural world.