“I will be so glad for you to hear not the sounds of gunfire but the sounds of church bells, and of people working in peace.”

“I never thought I should live to grow blasé about the sound of gunfire, but so I have”

“It’s hard to hear over the racket of gunfire. Politicians want to talk about war, but the people want to talk about peace.”

“...when I was a kid, Toronto streets were deserted and quiet on Sundays, except for the sound of church bells I stood on the sidewalk one December listening to the Christmas bells - I've never forgotten that moment...”

“Sound is so important to creative writing. Think of the sounds you hear that you include and the similes you use to describe what things sound like. 'As she walked up the alley, her polyester workout pants sounded like windshield wipers swishing back and forth.' Cadence, onomatopoeia, the poetry of language are all so important. Learn all that you can about how to bring sound into your work.”

“I could hear the exasperation in her voice, so beautiful and familiar, but sad, too, like hearing church bells right before your funeral.”