DWJ talks about her childhood.

For the un-initiated, DWJ is Diana Wynne Jones, easily one of the best children's/YA fantasy authors--really, one of the best children's/YA authors, period.

I kind of wish that she would write an autobiography.

Anyway, this article is at the TimesOnline:

“If we grew out of our shoes — really grew out, so that our heels were coming out of the back, she would blame us and make our lives hell. She kept all the clothing coupons for herself, and the only time we ever got new clothes was when our grandmother used her coupons to buy us some. I was incredibly busy trying to rescue my sisters, making them clothes, looking after them. If ever we were ill, we were told it was only psychological, so we knew that we had to tell them we were sick in front of other people. I think she was part of a very dreadful generation of women who struggled like mad for academic success, then found it didn’t lead anywhere. I’ve tried for years to understand why she behaved as she did, and, when she died last year, had some psychotherapy before deciding that some people are just made like that.”

For anyone who wants to read A. S. Byatt's rant about J. K. Rowling, it's here.