“I had fallen in love. What I mean is: I had begun to recognize, to isolate the signs of one of those from the others, in fact I waited for these signs I had begun to recognize, I sought them, responded to those signs I awaited with other signs I made myself, or rather it was I who aroused them, these signs from her, which I answered with other signs of my own . . . ”

“• Just love me the way I am!”

“Be polite in your speeches. Good information rudely communicated will make no positive difference.”

“Because pieces of your heart clearly weigh more when they're sitting shattered at the bottom of your stomach.”

“• People deserve a break. The stressed and unorganized person who doesn’t have the same priorities as you may be dealing with an autistic child, abusive spouse, fading parents, or cancer. Don’t judge people until you’ve walked a mile in their shoes. Give them a break instead.”

“...I rejoiced in the flaws that made her more real to me”

“Can I ask you something?" you said. "How did you ever survive that scandal?" She said, "I refused to be shamed." "How did you do that?" you asked. "When they came at me, I kept coming," she said.”

“Just let them sit in the goddam sun. But the world won't let them because there's nothing more dangerous than letting old farts sit in the sun. They might be thinking. Same thing with kids. Keep 'em busy or they might start thinking.”