When I went to Israel, it was a little disorienting, because there are so many people who look crazy and were dressed like me. There, I was just one of the apocalyptic crowd.

I don't believe that prayers actually change God's mind - if there is a God - but I liked praying for people in need. It was like moral weightlifting. I tend to be self-obsessed, and it was nice to get out of my brain once in a while.

I grew up in a very secular home with no religion at all, so I was starting from zero.

Plus, in one of his e-mails, the guy said he didn't like pancakes. What kind of asshole doesn't like pancakes?

I am officially Jewish, but I’m Jewish in the same way the Olive Garden is an Italian restaurant.

Scrabble - The game is available in Braille. That’s a nice fact. This makes me feel better about humanity for some reason. I can’t really explain why.

Giulia Melucci has written a wonderfully funny and moving book. It's like Eat, Pray, Love, with recipes.