She always carried a book, though, in case she needed to read a few pages to avoid unwanted conversation.

Surely it is a sin to reject the few gifts we are given. Be happy in the flash of time granted to us or hurt forever.

Publishers give you deadlines for those last phases of production that are perfectly comfortable for them. So, to whatever extent I can, I like to push those to give me a little more time, and make it so that they're as uncomfortable as I am.

Nothing changes what alreaday happened. It will always have happened. You either let it break you down or you don't.

I had never taken creative writing classes. Hadn't even considered it.

Needing and getting don’t seem likely to match up any time soon... What needs doing is mine to do.

Our worst pain is confined within our own skin.