Things were here before you and will be here after you're gone. The geographic features, especially, give you a sense of your own place in the world and in time

In a very basic way, a prominent landmark such as Mt. Holyoke tells you where you are. They let you know that you're not the first person in a place

How could a just God permit great misery? The Haitian peasants answered with a proverb: "Bondye konn bay, men li pa konn separe," in literal translation, "God gives but doesn't share." This meant... God gives us humans everything we need to flourish, but he's not the one who's supposed to divvy up the loot. That charge was laid upon us.

My big struggle is how people can not care, erase, not remember.

I want my prose to be as clear as a pane of glass.

The problem is fundamental... It is as if a secret committee, now lost to history, has made a study of children and, having figured out what the greatest number were least disposed to declared that all of them should do it.

People say you cant teach writing, but I think thats nonsense.