My biography of Frank Sinatra is not paean to his music but rather an illumination of the man behind the music, who once described himself as 'an 18-karat manic-depressive who lived a life of violent emotional contradictions with an over-acute capacity for sadness as well as happiness.'

Instinctively she knew that talking, talking, talking kept people from probing, probing, probing. The more she seemed to reveal about herself, the more she could hide, and still appear to be open and forthcoming.

I admired Eugene McCarthy’s courage and although I left his Senate staff after four years to accept a job as the researcher on the editorial page of the ‘Washington Post,’ I remained an admirer.

My biography of Frank Sinatra is not paean to his music but rather an illumination of the man behind the music, who once described himself as ’an 18-karat manic-depressive who lived a life of violent emotional contradictions with an over-acute capacity for sadness as well as happiness.

I don’t give you editorial control. I want to meet you. I want to interview everybody who’s ever known you. I want to see your correspondence. I want to see your bank statements. But you will have no control over what I write. That’s why I really believe in the unauthorized biography.

I was raised Irish Catholic and went to Holy Names Academy, an all-girl’s private Catholic school. I loved the nuns there and I love them to this day.

Once I decide to do something, I can’t have people telling me I can’t. If there’s a roadblock, you jump over it, walk around it, crawl under it.

There’s still time for redemption if I live long enough, don’t you think?

I am what is known as a benched Catholic and disillusioned by the church doctrine. I believe in things the Catholic Church does not believe in: divorce being one, and a women’s right to choose being another.

I’m not surprised, but I am disappointed that Katharine Carr Esters claims that she was ‘tricked’ into divulging her true feelings about Oprah and that she now denies that she revealed to me the identity of Oprah’s biological father.