Humor is the chocolate chips in the ice cream of life.

Teaching literature is teaching how to read. How to notice things in a text that a speed-reading culture is trained to disregard, overcome, edit out, or explain away; how to read what the language is doing, not guess what the author was thinking; how to take evidence from a page, not seek a reality to substitute for it.

We can never untangle all the woes in other people's lives. We can't produce miracles overnight. But we can bring a cup of cool water to a thirsty soul, or a scoop of laughter to a lonely heart.

Violets are God's apology for February.

Love is what makes two people sit in the middle of a bench when there is plenty of room at both ends.

Grudges are like hand grenades: it is wise to release them before they destroy you.

Change is a process not an event.