“To a poet, silence is an acceptable response, even a flattering one. ”

“Silence - not dissent - is the one answer that leaders should refuse to accept.”

“What is an anarchist? One who, choosing, accepts the responsibility of choice.”

“[O]ne can become whole only by the responsible acceptance of one's partiality.”

“Hope is nothing but a deceitful flatterer accepted by reason only because it is often in need of palliatives.”

“But then twitching nervously in the presence of a librarian wasn't an uncommon response—librarians, like ministers of religion, and poets, and people with serious mental health disorders, can make people nervous. Librarians possess a kind of occult power, an aura. They could silence people with just a glance. At least, they did in Israel's fantasies. In Israel's fantasies, librarians were mild-mannered superheroes, with extrasensory perceptions and a highly developed sense of responsibility who demanded respect from everyone they met. In reality, Israel couldn't silence even Mrs Onions on her mobile phone when she was disturbing other readers.”