At the end, we brought her to New York, where I was living, for a series of experimental tortures that increased the misery of her days without increasing the number of them.
John GreenAugustus: โYou probably need some rest.โ Me: โIโm okay.โ Augustus: โOkay.โ (Pause.) โWhat are you thinking about?โ Me: โYou.โ Augustus: โWhat about me?โ Me: โโI do not know which to prefer, / The beauty of inflections / Or the beauty of innuendos, / The blackbird whistling / Or just after.โโ Augustus: โGod, you are sexy.โ Me: โWe could go to your room.โ Augustus: โIโve heard worse ideas.
John GreenI was thinking about the universe wanting to be noticed, and how I had to notice it as best I could. I felt that I owed a debt to the universe that only my attention could repay, and also that I owed a debt to everybody who didnโt get to be a person anymore and everyone who hadnโt gotten to be a person yet.
John GreenOne of the pitfalls about writing about illness is that it is very easy to imagine people with cancer as either these wise-beyond-their-years creatures or these sad-eyed tragic people. And the truth is, people living with cancer are very much like people who are not living with cancer. They're every bit as funny and complex and diverse as anyone else.
John Green