He chose illness, because he knew of no other way to be seen. Not even by those looking at him.

Between any two beings there is a unique, uncrossable distance, an unenterable sanctuary. Sometimes it takes the shape of aloneness. Sometimes it takes the shape of love.

In the struggle between yourself and the world, side with the world

So it had something to do with the sinner, and something with the judge, and the fear of not being forgiven, and the relief of being loved again.

Nothing goes away. Not on its own. You deal with it, or it deals with you.

No father knows that he is carrying his son up the stairs for the final time

So many days in their shared life. So many experiences. How had they managed to spend the previous sixteen years unlearning each other? How had all the presence summed to disappearance?

One can build a perfect home, but not live in it.

she also liked to remember that there could be no such thing as an intentional imperfection. People are always mistaking something that looks good for something that feels good.

You only get to keep what you refuse to let go of

True love is not in possessions or obsessions

The bible and the church have been the greatest stumbling block in the way of women's emancipation.

Experience can never be undone, or knowledge unlearned.

The pale child, Eve, leading her mother, Night.

I've worked on the urban agenda all my life. All. My. Life.

we all carry the Houses of our Youth inside, and our Parents, too, grown small enough to fit within our Hearts.

Licking Falls, Ohio, had its own set of standards. They were archaic at best.

The most dangerous man on earth is the man who has reckoned with his own death. All men die; few men ever really live.

The Defense Department must do a better job of providing the best possible care for service women who are victims of sexual assault.

There are writers who do start doing the same thing again and again and almost inevitably fall into self-parody.