Ghosting, where you are mid-conversation with someone and they disappear off the face of the planet.

To place faith over facts.

Three versions of the same trait: deceit, hypocrisy, and manipulativeness.

Casual cruelty; the wearing of essential oils.

I came from a family where books were highly valued, and that set me on the path of reading. Also, my family got out there and did stuff, and so I grew up feeling that you could change things and get things done if you worked hard.

At 12, I wanted to be an architect, at 18, a writer, and now, at forty, an architect again. I’m powerfully drawn to everything related to building, but I also love ideas. These are my two passions.

failure. I dream of chapters I haven't written and things that I forgot to say in books I wrote three or seven years ago.

Learning to give up on perfection may be just about the most romantic move any of us could make.

I want to persuade people that Culture, broadly defined (literature, philosophy, art, theatre, photography etc.) can be used as a guide to how to live. I believe in the practical application of Culture, Culture as self-help.

interior design. I would love to design your house for you. At night, I sketch designs for King's Cross, new versions of the British Library, and new versions of my kitchen.