Whether we're talking about fish species, pigs, or some other eaten animal, is such suffering the most important thing in the world? Obviously not. But that's not the question. Is it more important that sushi, bacon, or chicken nuggets? That's the question.

Books are for those without real lives, he thought. And they are no real replacement.

Everybody knows the competing identities of people who have kids.

The bruises go away, and so does how you hate, and so does the feeling that everything you receive from life is something you have earned.

Time was passing like a hand waving from a train that I wanted to be on.

We talked about nothing in particular, but it felt like we were talking about the most important things.

I felt, that night, on that stage, under that skull, incredibly close to everything in the universe, but also extremely alone.