“(aspiring journalist to Carl Kolchak)'Andy knows I want to be a reporter. Like you'This took me by surprise. 'Sallie, my dear, nobody wants to be a reporter like me.”

“I think people still want to like Barack Obama but are a little puzzled and even, sometimes, disappointed to discover that actually, all things considered, they don't really like him quite as much as they would like to.”

“To prove to [her friend, Swedish diplomat Count] Gyllenborg that she was not superficial, Catherine composed an essay about herself, "so that he would see whether I knew myself or not." The next day, she wrote and handed to Gyllenborg an essay titled 'Portrait of a Fifteen-Year-Old Philosopher.' He was impressed and returned it with a dozen pages of comments, mostly favorable. "I read his remarks again and again, many times [Catherine later recalled in her memoirs]. I impressed them on my consciousness and resolved to follow his advice. In addition, there was something else surprising: one day, while conversing with me, he allowed the following sentence to slip out: 'What a pity that you will marry! I wanted to find out what he meant, but he would not tell me.”

“I don't know how I know that, but I do. I can feel the beat of that truth inside me. Taste it bitter on my tongue.Sometimes, like now, I didn't think I want to know who I really am.”

“...Oh, and he groped your face. Sounds like true love to me.' 'He didn't grope my face. We were talking. And he also bought me animal crackers. I like them.' 'You also bitched about them not being in the vending machine for a week. Everyone in the building knows you like animal crackers.' 'I don't see you bringing me any.' 'Do you want me to?”

“After I’m gone, I want to leave behind my memory. I want the dead leaves during fall to crack like my heart did long ago. I want the snow throughout the dreary winter months to float aimlessly onto the ground and to whisper my words. I want the spring rain to pour like my tears did and the birds to sing for me. I want the summer air to blow through fields of dandelions and help the world’s wishes to come true. I want to be remembered everyday that I’m up in heaven if God allows it…”

“My belief is that 'recluse' is a code word generated by journalists... meaning, doesn't like to talk to reporters...”