Mercy Watson is pure fun for me as a writer, because I think of her as kind of sorbet - a palate cleanser - between larger works. It's always a relief to come back to her.

No matter how hard you try to be present at home, you're always doing the things that you have to do.

You are the ever-expanding universe to me

We appreciate the complicated and wonderful gifts you give us in each other. And we appreciate the task you put down before us, of loving each other the best we can, even as you love us.

There can be a lot of longevity in the repetition of things being told again and again in a variety of ways.

There is a lot of love in him, a lot of love in his heart...And he is up there with no one and nothing to love. It is a bad thing to have love and no where to put it.

Going out and not only meeting the kids, but meeting the teachers and the librarians and seeing the world, fills me up.