Spirit was a by-product of activity, like the reflection from a spinning fan blade, and our souls in the end did not reside within us but flowed outward from our movements.

At the beginning of a novel, a writer needs confidence, but after that what's required is persistence. These traits sound similar. They aren't. Confidence is what politicians, seducers and currency speculators have, but persistence is a quality found in termites. It's the blind drive to keep on working that persists after confidence breaks down.

The lines we draw that make us who we are are potent by virtue of being non-negotiable, and even, at some level, indefensible.

I still believe in love. I always will. It's my blessing and my burden.

Some strangers become more important to you than family, maybe because you're not expected to love them. You can leave them whenever you want to. They can, too. Every moment together is a choice.

Love is a powerful painkiller.

In the age of networked everything, life moves sideways and covers lots of ground while barely touching the earth.