It is an extraordinary and beautiful thing that God, in creation. . . works with the beauty of matter; the reality of things; the discoveries of the senses, all five of them; so that we, in turn, may hear the grass growing; see a face springing to life in love and laughter. . . The offerings of creation. . . our glimpses of truth.

The novelist helps us to see things we might not notice otherwise.

If you're too happy about anything, fate usually gives you a good sock in the jaw and knocks you down.

Schooling, instead of encouraging the asking of questions, too often discourages it.

I believe that good questions are more important than answers, and the best children's books ask questions, and make the readers ask questions. And every new question is going to disturb someone's universe.

We do not know what things look like. We know what things are like. It must be a very limiting thing,this seeing. -Aunt Beast

I can't think of one great human being in the arts, or in history generally, who conformed, who succeeded, as education experts tell us children must succeed, with his peer group.