“The success of any society must be judged by the life of its worst off. No other calculation will do.”

“Before September 11, the skinny, jittery black guy made security think one thing: drug mule. But after the attacks, security only cared about bombs. So it was the Arab guys, the Puerto Ricans and I...”

“Doubt is the big machine. It grinds up the delusions of women and men.”

“Im always looking for the monster. Not even just in horror. I want them in everything. Just give me the monsters. Logical conclusions dont satisfy. Monsters satisfy, absolutely.”

“Human beings are no damn good, he said. We are even worse than animals. We like ...He trailed off, cleared his throat, but his voice hardly reached a whisper.We like monsters, he said.”

“None of us can choose where we shall love...”

“There are so many men, all endlessly attempting to sweep me off my feet. And there is one of you, trying just the opposite. Making sure my feet are firm beneath me, lest I fall.”

“Whales feel cohesion, a sense of community, of loyalty. The distress call of a lone whale is enough to prompt its entire pod to rush to its side- a gesture that lands them nose to nose in the same ...”