My parents are aging and there are difficult issues. It's strange to have children at the beginning of life and parents nearing the end.
My children, who are almost two: watching them develop has made me pay much closer attention to how we become who we are.
I read Claire Messud's 'The Emperor's Children,' I read Joseph O'Neill's 'Netherland' - but to me, they're not 9/11 novels. In 'The Emperor's Children,' 9/11 felt to me like a piece of the plot; the novel wasn't wrestling with what 9/11 meant. And 'Netherland' felt the same way. I liked both books a lot but I don't see them as 9/11 novels.
