“The point of living in the world is just to stay interested.”

“I wasn't glad that I hadn't died. And I wasn't sad that I hadn't. I wasn't anything.”

“All right, all right," he said, with that gesture I'd come to hate: two open palms facing me and patting the air, as if pushing me away, pushing me down, pushing any tears I might be preparing to c...”

“If you love something, know that it will leave on a day you are far from ready.”

“I thought at times that poetry might be an elegant way of screaming.”

“For though I was raised Protestant, my true religion is actually civility. Please note that I do not call my faith politeness. Thats part of it, yes, but I say civility because I believe that good ...”

“A hallmark of virtuous adulthood is learning to find freedom in your work rather than freedom from your work, even when work might hurt.”

“Parenting requires a delicate balance of letting your child be your spiritual teacher while you maintain the clarity and boundaries to be her Earthly teacher.”

“Remember, nothing is ever created or destroyed. Therefore, unresolved emotional pain from childhood does not dissolve by itself. It sits waiting to be declared, and a child is the ultimate vehicle ...”

“There are no facts, only interpretations.”

“My story is of such marvel that if it were written with a needle on the corner of an eye, it would yet serve as a lesson to those who seek wisdom.”

“There are 1,198,500,000 people alive now in China. To get a feel for what that means, simply take yourself - in all your singularity, importance, complexity, and love - and multiply by 1,198,500,00...”