There are few times that I feel more at peace, more in tune, more Zen, if you will, than when I force myself to unplug.

You don't worry about happiness and fulfilment when you're starving.

A dancer on break approached him. She smiled. Each tooth was angled in a different direction, as if her mouth were the masterwork of a mad orthodontist. "Hi," she said. "Hi." "You're really cute." "I don't have any money." She spun and walked away. Ah, romance.

This was a place where tattoos outnumbered teeth.

...desperation can toy with you and if you give desperation any wiggle room, it will find alternative answers

Kids don’t do what their parents say-they do what they see their parents do. So who was to blame here?

Kate Atkinson is an absolute must-read. I love everything she writes.