I thought the whole world was like Lorain.

Some Native American writers enjoy being called Native American writers.

She is a friend of mind. She gather me, man. The pieces I am, she gather them and give them back to me in all the right order. It's good, you know, when you got a woman who is a friend of your mind.

They held hands and knew that only the coffin would lie in the earth; the bubbly laughter and the press of fingers in the palm would stay aboveground forever. At first, as they stood there, their hands were clenched together. They relaxed slowly until during the walk back home their fingers were laced in as gentle a clasp as that of any two young girlfriends trotting up the road on a summer day wondering what happened to butterflies in the winter.

And I am all the things I have ever loved: scuppernong wine, cool baptisms in silent water, dream books and number playing.

I think some aspects of writing can be taught. Obviously, you can't teach vision or talent. But you can help with comfort.

The habit of getting up early, which I had formed when the children were young, now became my choice. I am not very bright or very witty or very inventive after the sun goes down.