In real life as in grand opera, arias only make hopeless situations worse.

That's one thing Earthlings might learn to do, if they tried hard enough: Ignore the awful times and concentrate on the good ones.

Big, undreamed-of things — the people on the edge see them first.

Or they'll talk about fear, which we used to call politics- job politics, social politics, government politics.

He didn't look like a soldier at all. He looked like a filthy flamingo.

Be soft. Do not let the world make you hard. Do not let the pain make you hate. Do not let the bitterness steal your sweetness. Take pride that even though the rest of the world may disagree, you still believe it to be a beautiful place.

As in my other works of fiction: All persons living and dead are purely coincidental, and should not be construed. No names have been changed to protect the innocent. Angels protect the innocent as a matter of Heavenly routine.