Susan Sontag, you write that the United States is a country where one can always start over in life. Is that true?

"It's definitely a myth, but because people believe in it, it ends up being possible. This is people's fantasy when they come to America, a land of new horizons. It's a more profound idea than finding one's fortunes in America. Moreover, the characters in my book found success in Europe and come to America where they have a worse life, but with the hope of starting over. In America, you can be a grandmother and take parachuting lessons and everyone will tell you, "Good for you!" There's no sense of being ridiculous."