 Interviewed on the BBC Radio 4 programme "Midweek" he said that his grandmother had told him he was "everything she had", something that helped him get through difficult financial decisions; she was also a great saver and gave him 50 dollars when he was heading to Yale university.He grew up in severe poverty.He studied for a Bachelor of Arts in English at Bowdoin College and a Master of Arts in American literature at the University of North Carolina.