This squirrel is inadequately afraid of humans! Squirrel, I am a threat to you! We are enemies! Please get off my bench! Oh, god! Oh, god! Don't touch me—oh, god!

We didn't talk much. But we didn't need to.

Everything's uglier close up," she said. "Not you," I answered.

I felt the unfairness of it, the inarguable injustice of loving someone who might have loved you back but can't due to deadness.

I have a great affection for people who are intellectually engaged with the world, and who don't treat everything superficially. And I think, when people talk about nerdiness, what they're really talking about is smart people who who are trying to think hard about the world. And I don't think that's an insult, I think that's a great thing.

All those paper people living in their paper houses, burning the future to stay warm.

There are times when you just have to let it all out. All the anger, all the pain.