We tell stories to talk out the trouble in our lives, trouble otherwise so often so unspeakable. It is one of our main ways of making our lives sensible. Trying to live without stories can make us crazy. They help us recognize what we believe to be most valuable in the world, and help us identify what we hold demonic.

We live in stories. What we are is stories. We do things because of what is called character, and our character is formed by the stories we learn to live in.

The specific danger is us; we are rampant; this earth is our only friend; we are destroying it increment by increment at a horrific rate. We must understand that we can't buy it back.

One of finest evocations of life in Western America in recent memory... Powerful and profoundly moving.

Don't worry about meaning. If a story's any good, it can't help but have meaning. Let the PhDs tell you what your story means.

A man ... needs to get out in the open air and sweat and blow off the stink.

They knew bullshit, and they knew about the ruling class; dying for a ruling class cause was almost always bullshit.