Never be afraid to love, not even when there's a chance you're not being loved in return.

Never be afraid to make a fool of yourself. The furthest out you can go is the best place to be.

Cries for help are frequently inaudible.

There are times when we can feel destiny close around us like a fist around a doorknob. Sure, we can resist. But a knob that won't turn, a door that sticks and never budges, is a nuisance to the gods. The gods may kick in the jamb. Worse, they may walk away in disgust, leaving us to hang dumbly from our tight hinges, deprived of any other chance in life to swing open into unnecessary risk and thus into enchantment.

...language is not the frosting, it's the cake.

Maybe what I admired most about John Steinbeck is that he never mortgaged his 45-acre heart for a suite in an ivory tower.

There is no such thing as a weird human being, It's just that some people require more understanding than others.