Some people mistakenly think nature is very nice and benevolent and never betrays.

We pulled the seeds out and scattered them on their flossy parachutes, leaving only the leathery brownish yellow tongue, soft as the inside of an elbow.

I think the main thing is: Just do it. Plunge in! Being Canadian, I go swimming in icy cold lakes, and there is always that dithering moment. "Am I really going to do this? Won't it hurt?" And at some point you just have to flop in there and scream. Once you're in, keep going. You may have to crumple and toss, but we all do that. Courage! I think that is what's most required.

If you get hungry enough, they say, you start eating your own heart.

The goals of the feminist movement have not been achieved, and those who claim we're living in a post-feminist era are either sadly mistaken or tired of thinking about the whole subject.

Good writing takes place at intersections, at what you might call knots, at places where the society is snarled or knotted up.

To take that risk, to offer life and remain alive, open yourself like this and become whole.