But I believed in starting over. There was finally, I knew, only rupture and hurt and falling short between all persons, but, Shirley, the best revenge was to turn your life into a small gathering of miracles. If I could not be anchored and profound, I would try, at least, to be kind.

You chose love like a belief, a faith, a place, a box for one's heart to knock against like a spook in the house.

To me, writing is much freer than dancing. With writing, you could do it whenever you wanted. You didnt have to do little exercises and stay in shape. You could have great moments of inspiration that advanced the story. In dance, unless youre going to choreograph things yourself, youre at the service of someone else.

I do have people in mind when I write. I don't know precisely who they are, however, or how many of them there are.

She smiled at him, with longing. 'Where do you live,' she asked, 'and how do I get there?

There was the usual dreaminess, I suppose. Also a shyness that caused me - and others - to notice that I could express myself better by writing than by speaking. This is typical of many writers, I think. What is a drawback in childhood is an asset to a literary life. Not being fluent on one’s feet sends one to the page and a habit is born.

I always had the sense with her that she didn't suffer fools gladly but that life was taking great pains to show her how.