“Choices are easy when you have nothing to lose.”

“What do I love most? Working with words. Words in a sentence are like pieces of a puzzle; you try out a whole bunch, then turn them this way and that until they fit into the whole. Creating flow is crucial. There's nothing like the moment when, after working and reworking a sentence, everything falls into place, and you know that it's right. What I do love least? Touring. It's grueling, time-consuming, and lonely.”

“I had nothing to fear from my father.Except his disappointment.Which was no small thing.”

“Concentrating when it's the hardest is what builds character”

“But you don't know what I want, do you. You formed an idea of who I am and What I do, and you've woven that idea in your life. You may listen to my words, but you don't hear my thoughts. You don't hear my needs. You don't see me. You haven't seen me in years.”

“What she did have, after raising two children, was the equivalent of a PhD in mothering and my undying respect.”

“If you want to disappear, Emily, you can do it most anywhere.”