You are always someones favorite unfolding story

I should figure out why I'm so much more interested in doing something that I think is really hard. But, somehow, the thing that is hard for me feels more noble.

Thank God Roxane Coss had not fallen in love with one of the Russians. She doubted they could make it up the stairs without stopping for a cigarette and telling at least one loud story that no one could understand.

Happiness compresses time, makes it dense and bright, pocketsized.

I don't want to stand with somebody's praise.

To say it was a beautiful day would not begin to explain it. It was that day when the end of summer intersects perfectly with the start of fall .... [p.218 ff.]

I'm very sentimental about lobsters. The last lobster I ate was the only lobster I cooked.