I go straight from thinking about my narrator to being him.

Movies can't ruin books. They can only ruin movies.

Even the most primite societies have an innate resepect for the insane.

Suddenly it wasn't only a personal thing to me. I could picture hundreds and hundreds of boys living on the wrong sides of cities, boys with black eyes who jumped at their own shadows. Hundreds of boys who maybe watched sunsets and looked at stars and ached for something better. I could see boys going down under street lights because they were mean and tough and hated the world, and it was too late to tell them that there was still good in it, and they wouldn't believe you if you did.

It's okay. We aren't in the same class. Just don't forget that some of us watch the sunset too.

All my life I wanted somebody who knew more than I did to tell me the truth.

I made up my mind that I'd get out of that place and I didI learned that if you want to get somewhere, you just make up your mind and work like hell til you get there. If you want to go somewhere in life, you just have to work till you make it.