They couldn't bear the idea of death being a big black nothing.

She didn’t understand why it was happening,” he said. “I had to tell her she would die. Her social worker said I had to tell her. I had to tell her she would die, so I told her she was going to heaven. She asked if I would be there, and I said that I would not, not yet. But eventually, she said, and I promised that yes, of course, very soon. And I told her that in the meantime we had great family up there that would take care of her. And she asked me when I would be there, and I told her soon. Twenty-two years ago.

Well, but you can eat Grandma's cookies. They're not bad for you. They were made by Grandma. Grandma wouldn't hurt you.

The nature of impending fatherhood is that you are doing something that you're unqualified to do, and then you become qualified while doing it.

That was the worst part about having cancer, sometimes: The physical evidence of disease separates you from other people.

This one's for Alaska Young!

We landed, in fact, parallel to a canal, like there were two runways: one for us and one for waterfowl.