Even if youโve taken off every stitch of clothing, you still have your secrets, your history, your true name. Itโs hard to be really naked. You have to work hard at it. Just getting into a bath isnโt being naked, not really. Itโs just showing skin.
Catherynne M. ValenteI can't imagine a decent maze that would be caught dead without a minotaur. It's not done! You don't go out of your house without any clothes on, and a minotaur doesn't go into the world without a labyrinth to keep him warm.
Catherynne M. ValenteIโm a monster,โ said the shadow of the Marquess suddenly. โEveryone says so.โ The Minotaur glanced up at her. โSo are we all, dear,โ said the Minotaur kindly. โThe thing to decide is what kind of monster to be. The kind who builds towns or the kind who breaks them.
Catherynne M. ValenteI donโt want to be a Princess,โ she said finally. โYou canโt make me be one.โ She knew very well what became of Princesses, as Princesses often get books written about them. Either terrible things happened to them, such as kidnappings and curses and pricking fingers and getting poisoned and locked up in towers, or else they just waited around till the Prince finished with the story and got around to marrying her. Either way, September wanted nothing to do with Princessing.
Catherynne M. Valente