Just once in my life--oh, when have I ever wanted anything just once in my life?

I thought, my love is so good, why isn't it calling the same thing back.

nothing is ever quite as bad as it could be.

consolation is a beautiful word. everyone skins his knee-that doesnt make yours hurt anyless.

I'm not first and foremost interested in story and the what-happens, but I'm interested in who's telling it and how they're telling it and the effects of whatever happened on the characters and the people.

I assemble stories-me and a hundred million other people-at the sentence level. Not by coming up with a sweeping story line.

He wondered how we know that what happens to us isn't good.