Guilt and no guilt: these were the worst things. The only thing worse than the guilt was the fear of getting caught.

Sometimes you regret the things you do, but they're over and done. Regretting the things you didn't do is tougher because they're still out there, haunting you with the what ifs.

When you peered into the windows of someone else's life, you could only guess what was going on.

To be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late, to be late is to be forgotten.

I am a summer person.

Iowa City is okay as Midwestern cities go, but theres no food, no culture, no ocean.

For graduate school I ended up going to the University of Iowa, which is, of course, the best graduate writing program in the country.

One is never too young for fine literature . . .

...Every life contains a novel.

Nothing was a natural predator of productive fiction writing like the cell phone. Ditto the laptop. As she had well learned, the laptop could destroy a day.

Meredith immersed herself in the novels. For some reason, fiction hit on the meaning of life so much more concisely than real life itself did.

i immersemyselfin youlikei immerse myselfinto a beautiful story.

Only the Army conducts an annual assessment, and they appear to do relatively little to analyze the problem, contributions to the problem, and potential solutions.

Dad named his first ulcer after me.

It's no good trying to teach people who need to be taught.

Knowledge is essential to conquest; only according to our ignorance are we helpless. Thought creates character. Character can dominate conditions. Will creates circumstances and environment.

I mean, you know, presidents of the United States can't randomly tweet without having check - - having somebody check it out.

Everything can be improved.

For me, I think that I don't like feeling pressure from outside sources. I'd rather put the pressure on myself and push myself to do it as good as I can.

Whether you're talking about bees, dogs, or women, pain can come upon you quickly from either one of em.

Wherever you are there you are!