It is said the sesta is one of the only gifts the Europeans brought to South America, but I imagine the Brazilians could have figured out how to sleep in the afternoon without having to endure centuries of murder and enslavement.
Ann PatchettMaybe there would be a bad outcome for some of the others, but no one was going to shoot a soprano.
Ann PatchettSociety was nothing but a long, dull dinner party conversation in which one was forced to speak to one's partner on both the left and the right.
Ann PatchettIf you're trying to find out what's coming next, turn off everything you own that has an OFF switch and listen.
Ann PatchettI don't want to stand with somebody's praise. Whereas now when people come up to me, they say, "I love the bookstore" and "Kids! Come here, come here! This is the woman who owns the bookstore." That's incredible. I can say to that, "Thank you for shopping local. Thank you for coming in. What are you reading? Let's talk about books." It's about something I'm doing as opposed to somehow something I am. I feel comfortable and positive in that role. Because it's about reading. It's about books. It's about learning. It's about business and tax base.
Ann Patchett