We use up words as we use up images. We use up everything, and that's good, because it makes us grow.
Trying to defend religion by invoking science is like claiming that three plus four equals ice cream.
For most of my life I have known how to control my feelings. If you can control your feelings, you can pretty much control your whole world. It's amazingly effective.
I suppose if I didn't write for a living and it couldn't be published, I would have wanted to write anyway. I think there's something about the act of writing that organizes thoughts and memories.
I can't stand family secrets. I think they're such a toxic thing and they always leak out.
One of the rather unedifying truths about grief is it does block out more or less everything. It has a solipsistic quality to it.
I flattered myself that I was rather empathetic, that I had rather good imaginative empathy. I've realized now that that was a complete self-delusion and that I didn't really have any comprehension of what it was like to see your entire life go catastrophically wrong in a matter of moments.
The currents rage so deep upon us, this is the age of video violence.
Did St. Francis preach to the birds? Whatever for? If he really liked birds he would have done better to preach to the cats.
It is a confession of the weakness of our own faith in the righteousness of our cause when we attempt to suppress by law those who do not agree with us.
Tanzania is standing by the people of Zimbabwe including President Mugabe. . . Mugabe is there, he is president, he has been elected. If Tanzania had simply said, stupid, you're hopeless, a murderer, a violator of basic human rights; does that remove Mugabe from office? It doesn't.