You have been published in so many different magazines, including Ms., Harper's, The Nation, The Progressive, The New Republic, The Atlantic Monthly and the New York Times Magazine. Are there big differences in how different magazines deal with your work? What are some things you love that editors do? What are things you don't?

There is not a lot of generalizing I can do. There are places that are notoriously hard to work for like the New York Times Magazine -- although some editor has insisted that in the last year or two they've become much nicer. But the place that has been most congenial for me in recent years has been Harper's -- because they don't censor. They are very open to whatever idiosyncrasies of style that I have. They've never tried to fit me in any kind of mold.

What’s been the problem at the New York Times?

One of the complaints about them is that they will accept something and then don’t publish it, and when you say, "whatever happened to my piece?" they'll say "oh it is out of date now." And that is actually not confined to the Times. It's one of the worst sins of many publication -- among them The Nation. Freelance writers, or writers in general have very little power. We have a union, but it has very little power. Our pay hasn't gone up in the 25 years that I've been doing this -- mine individually has improved because I get closer to top dollar now. But top dollar's not so great -- if you consider that you might work two months on a piece that you get $10,000 for -- that's a lot of money for a piece as these things go, but that’s two months work -- with no benefits of course.

You've written a number of books about sex and marriage, which gives you some insight into the institution. What do you think of the "controversy" about same-sex marriage?

I don't understand it too well. I don't even understand it politically for the Republicans, because it doesn't seem to get too much traction. What the opponents say is that this is a way of legitimizing -- both socially and legally -- legitimizing gay relationships, and they just don't want to do that because they are repelled by homosexuality. But I wouldn't try to look into the dark spidery corners of their hearts. .It seems like such an absurd preoccupation -- and not just to me. I don't understand the opposition – but I also don't entirely understand why gays want to get married. Everybody, of course, should have the choice.

What are you working on now?

Something I can't tell you about because it is undercover. I’m also constantly firing off columns and op-ed pieces on current events.

What is on your bedside table right now? What are some of your favorite books? Favorite authors?

I'm not a big one for favorites. I read a lot of novels. I don't really even remember what the most recent ones are. Right now I’m reading a wonderful novel called The Fountain at the Center of the World. It is a left-wing novel on anti-globalization themes. And if you had told me that, I'd probably shave said, "oh snooze" -- but it's gripping, it's beautifully written and it's the best novel I've read this year. Most of my nonfiction reading unfortunately is either functional or predatory. Functional in that I have been asked to do a blurb for something; predatory in that I'm doing research for something I'm working on, and I'm skimming through to the relevant parts. I'm very ashamed of myself that I don't do more nonfiction reading just out of calm curiosity .

I understand you have a new grandchild. Has having grandchildren changed your politics or worldview?

Probably more in the direction of anarchism, since that seems to be the ideology that little children live by.