“In a world of watered-down bestsellers and formula novels, Hitching to Nirvana eases back just enough to show the blade which cuts the real open, then bolts forward again, giving us a charged, swerving dance to self-actualization. Hitching to Nirvana is a magnetic forcefield, not just pulling us beautifully into the story, but into our own lives. It's rare when a writer can open the shared world with such a deft, personal touch. Janet Mason is a genius.”

“I’m here for the show” the man saidlooking under Frank’s shirt for the door“I’m no theater” Frank saida line formedmust he admit them all?many had umbrellasa blind womanwaited withher dog“it’s gonna be a great show” someone said“but when’s he gonna let us in?”Frank’s tears began to fallsomeone ripped his doors openthey filled him for an hour”

“every March Frankloses his circle of friendshe's in the backyardface in handssurrounded by sevencarrots and sevencorncob pipes in sevenpuddles of water withfourteen eyesmade outof coal”

“For love, Frank spoke softly into envelopes instead of writing letters.”

“I'm not the kind of faggot who wants to put a rainbow sticker on a machine gun.”

“Writers and artists build by hand little worlds that they hope might effect change in real minds, in the real world where stories are read. A story can make us cry and laugh, break our hearts, or make us angry enough to change the world.”

“...a novel, like a myth or any great work of art, can become an initiation that helps us to make a painful rite of passage from one phase of life, one state of mind, to another. A novel, like a myth, teaches us to see the world differently; it shows us how to look into our own hearts and to see our world from a perspective that goes beyond our own self-interest.”