He took pains to avoid self-depreciation, self-mockery, ambiguity, irony, subtlety, vulnerability, a civilized world-weariness and a tragic sense of history--the very things, he says, that are most natural to him.

...Because what's the meaning of doing dishes if you're not driven by something beyond necessity.

I don't know what I think about certain subjects, even today, until I sit down and try to write about them.

Because friends have to be brutally honest with each other. I'd feel terrible if I didn't tell you what I was thinking, especially at a time like this

Once you've seen the signs about the barn, it becomes impossible to see the barn.

There are dead stars that still shine because their light is trapped in time. Where do I stand in this light, which does not strictly exist? (155)

Let's enjoy the aimless days while we still can.