It was my misfortune-or salvation-to be at all times perfectly conscious of my misperceptions of reality.

I had an inspiration once. I woke up one morning and I knew that it was my task to swallow fifty asprin.It was my task:my job for the day.-17 Girl Interrupted

When you’re sad you need to hear your sorrow structured into sound.

This time I read the title of the painting: Girl Interrupted at Her Music. Interrupted at her music: as my life had been, interrupted in the music of being seventeen, as her life had been, snatched and fixed on canvas: one moment made to stand still and to stand for all the other moments, whatever they would be or might have been. What life can recover from that?

As far as I could see, life demanded skills I didn't have.

It was my misfortune-or salvation-to be at all times perfectly conscious of my misperceptions of reality.

Insanity comes in two basic varieties: slow and fast. I'm not talking about onset or duration. I mean the quality of the insanity, the day-to-day business of being nuts.