Wishes of one's old life wither and shrivel like old leaves if they are not replaced with new wishes when the world changes. And the world always changes. Wishes get slimy, and their colors fade, and soon they are just mud, like all the rest of the mud, and not wishes at all, but regrets. The trouble is, not everyone can tell when they ought to launder their wishes. Even when one finds oneself in Fairyland and not at home at all, it is not always so easy to remember to catch the world in it's changing and change with it.
Catherynne M. ValenteYou cannot escape where you come from, September. Some part of it remains inside you always, like the slender white heart in the center of the thickest onion.
Catherynne M. ValenteA library is never complete. Thatโs the joy of it. We are always seeking one more book to add to our collection.
Catherynne M. ValenteI perceive that you have a cruel heart, my child. It lies within your breast like a smoldering blade, hissing steam at me.
Catherynne M. ValenteYou know, in Fairyland-Above they said that the underworld was full of devils and dragons. But it isnโt so at all! Folk are just folk, wherever you go, and itโs only a nasty sort of person who thinks a bodyโs a devil just because they come from another country and have different notions. Itโs wild and quick and bold down here, but I like wild things and quick things and bold things, too.
Catherynne M. Valente