One of my da's tragedies was always the fact that he was bright enough to understand just how comprehensively he had shat all over his life.

One of my da's tragedies was always the fact that he was bright enough to understand just how comprehensively he had shat all over his life.

We had no one else to learn this from- none of our parents were shining examples of relationship success- so we learned this from each other: when someone you love needs you to, you can get a hold of your five-alarm temper, get a hold of the shapeless things that scare you senseless, act like an adult instead of the Cro-Magnon teenager you are, you can do a million things you never saw coming.

I love writing. I feel ridiculously lucky that this is what I get to do all day.

I hate nostalgia, it's laziness with prettier accessories.

We think of mortality so little these days... I thought of the stern Victorian determination to keep death in mind, the uncompromising tombstones. Remember, pilgrim, as you pass by, As you are now so once was I: As I am so will you be.

I came from a house full of books, so I took reading for granted. I was an outdoorsy little kid, too, so I got the best of both worlds by taking books up trees and reading there.