“He was, in other words, a careful man with careless impulses.”

“You made a rebel of a careless man's careful daughter. You are the best thing that's ever been mine.”

“Her mind is an unquiet one, words and thoughts and impulses constantly crashing into each other.”

“It was [John Gardner's] conviction that if the words in the story were blurred because of the author's insensitivity, carelessness, or sentimentality, then the story suffered from a tremendous handicap. But there was something even worse and something that must be avoided at all costs: if the words and the sentiments were dishonest, the author was faking it, writing about things he didn't care about or believe in, then nobody could ever care anything about it.”

“42. The word “desire” means “of the sire” or “of the father.” In other words, that strong impulse to achieve something is actually the “something” already in you, seeking to come out!”

“Cheapness and ignorance are mutually reinforcing. And it's a short way from not knowing who's at the other end of your food chain to not caring - to the carelessness of both producers and consumers.”