Writer Would Prefer You Not Mention Where She Lives, Because Categories Trouble Her

“Of all the things I’ve been called in my time, the one that surprises me the most is ‘California Writer.’ When I hear that, I look over my shoulder, certain that the phrase must apply to the writer behind me or to my left. It’s the way I feel when I am addressed by my husband’s last name. It takes me a moment to realize his mother is not in the room. Categories trouble me.”