And the things you know before you hear them; these are you and the reason you are in the world.

Some people are blinded by their experience. Soldiers know how important war is. Owners of slaves learn every day how inferior subject peoples are.

Once we have tasted far streams, touched the gold, found some limit beyond the waterfall, a season changes and we come back changed but safe, quiet, grateful.

The things you do not have to say make you rich. Saying things you do not have to say weakens your talk. Hearing things you do not need to hear dulls your hearing. And things you know before you hear them — those are you, those are why you are in the world.

There is no such thing as writer's block for writers whose standards are low enough.

A speech is something you say so as to distract attention from what you do not say.

The signals we give-yes or no, or maybe-/should be clear/the darkness around us is deep.