In a school community, someone who reads a book for some secretive purpose, other than discussing it, is strange. What was she reading for?

My brain is sending poison to my heart.

If pride is a sin ... moral pride is the greatest sin.

We permit bad taste in this country. In fact, we even encourage it - and reward it in all manner of ways.

There was no manifestation of contemporary culture that did not indicate to my grandmother how steadfast was the nation's decline, how merciless our mental and moral deterioration, how swiftly all-embracing our final decadence. I never saw her read a book again; but she referred to books often - as if they were shrines and cathedrals of learning that television had plundered and then abandoned.

I've always been slow but I'm even slower now. I'm more into the waiting, or I guess I'm more patient about the waiting.

You've got to get obsessed and stay obsessed.