Whatever I write I publish. Because that's where the money is.
I write for teens partially to work out whatever it was that I needed to from my own teenage years.
It’s the end. It’s the end of the civilization. We’re going down. No, it’s sure not too attractive. Lenticels. I just hope my kids don’t live to see the last days. The things burning and people living in cellars. Violet. The only thing worse than the thought it may all come tumbling down is the thought that we may go on like this forever.
I wanted to say something to cheer her up. I had a feeling that cheering her up might be a lot of work. I was thinking of how sometimes, trying to say the right thing to people, it’s like some kind of brain surgery, and you have to tweak exactly the right part of the lobe. Except with talking, it’s more like brain surgery with old, rusted skewers and things, maybe like those things you use to eat lobster, but brown. And you have to get exactly the right place, and you’re touching around in the brain but the patient, she keeps jumping and saying, “Ow.
…It’s like a spiral: They keep making everything more basic so it will appeal to everyone. And gradually, everyone gets used to everything being basic, so we get less and less varied as people, more simple. So the corps make everything even simpler. And it goes on and on.
The natural world is so adaptable. . . So adaptable you wonder what's natural.
Whispering makes a narrow place narrower.
I know it. I know I shall make beastly mistakes, Father-" "The world does not forgive mistakes so quickly, my girl. " He sounds bitter and sad. "If the world will not forgive me," I say softly, "I shall have to learn to forgive myself. " He nods in understanding. "And how will you marry? Or do you intend to marry?" I think of Kartik, and tears threaten. "I shall meet someone one day, as Mother found you.
My ultimate aim is to make euthanasia a positive experience.
I want to say words that flame as I say them, but I keep quiet and don't try to make both words fit in one mouthful.
The axiomatic method has many advantages over honest work.