Each of us possesses a tangible living soul. The system has no such thing. We must not allow the system to exploit us.

In his own way, he's lived life with all the intensity he could muster.

Good style happens in one of two ways: the writer either has an inborn talent or is willing to work herself to death to get it.

Well, think of what I’m doing to you right now. For me I’m the self, and you’re the object. For you, of course, it’s the exact opposite—you’re the self to you and I’m the object. And by exchanging self and object, we can project ourselves onto the other and gain self-consciousness. Volitionally.” “I still don’t get it, but it sure feels good.” “That’s the whole idea,” the girl said.

It seems to me, though, that you always understand very well what I can't say very well. Trouble is I end up being even worse at saying things well.

What we call the present is given shape by an accumulation of the past.

I think history is collective memories. In writing, I'm using my own memory, and I'm using my collective memory.