“He believed a man should never be sober but never be drunk. And he believed in watching out for family, even if you had to stay sober for a few hours; it was that important.”

“To the extent a man can control chaos, he should put his testicles on the line and do so, but when a man can't, he should just step aside, or someone in the lineup behind him is gonna bite his ass.”

“My father believes with his entire soul that the meek shall inherit the earth. My children will inherit the earth but they will not be meek.”

“Are we praying?" "If you have to ask, you probably aren't.”

“You can't say asses in church unless you are speaking of donkeys.”

“She placed her hands, one on each of his shoulders, stood on her toes and kissed him on the lips. He waited, enjoying the moment like none before.”

“Education doesnt make you happy. Nor does freedom. We dont become happy just because were free if we are. Or because weve been educated if we have. But because education may be the means by which...”

“Because I trust in the ever-changing climate of the heart. (At least, today I feel that way.) I think it is necessary to have many experiences for the sake of feeling something; for the sake of bei...”

“The past has no power over the present moment.”

“We tilt our heads back and open wide. The snow drifts into our zombie mouths crawling with grease and curses and tobacco flakes and cavities and boyfriend/girlfriend juice, the stain of lies. For o...”

“The teachers complain that the students today are all lazy, ignorant, and stupid. But the truth is that you're smarter than they are. You're not even old enough to drive and you already know that n...”

“I told her about school and how I sat on a wall there and felt stories and words move through me ...”

“Teachers are mind engineers! Teachers are life directors! Dont ever undermine a teacher!”

“Even we set aside the nearly 50 percent of all beginner teachers who choose to leave the profession within five yearsand ignore the evidence that those who leave are worse performers than those who...”

“One thing I more and this is all I have to say...High School is not a separate unit from you. We are apart of you. Every man, woman, and child in this community is a part...Your ways of life in you...”