Her laughter was a shiny thing, like pewter flung high in the air.

When men talk about the agony of being men, they can never quite get away from the recurrent theme of self-pity. And when women talk about being women, they can never quite get away from the recurrent theme of blaming men.

Through sports a coach can offer a boy a secret way to sneak up on the mystery that is manhood.

Music could ache and hurt, that beautiful music was a place a suffering man could hide.

Good writing ... involves the agony of turning profoundly difficult thoughts into lucid form, then forcing them into the tight-fitting uniform of language, making them visible and clear.

There is no downside to winning. It feels forever fabulous.

Her laughter was a shiny thing, like pewter flung high in the air.