“History is the queen of the humanities. It teaches wisdom and humility, and it tells us how things change through time.”

“Literature differs from life in that life is amorphously full of detail, and rarely directs us toward it, wheras literature teaches us to notice. Literature makes us better noticers of life; we get to practice on life itself; which in turn makes us better readers of detail in literature; which in turn makes us better readers of life.”

“The only time a woman really succeeds in changing a man is when he's a baby.”

“Guys, please, one life-changing shock at a time, I felt like saying.”

“If you are thinking about making some adjustments in you life to allow you to help change the world, my heartfelt recommendation is not to spend too much time thinking about it. Just dive in.”

“Fur, feathers, scales or skin…we coexist. We must. If humans fail to cohabitate with the natural world, they will become extinct. We need the plants, animals and insects far more than they need us.”

“Most prayers are not really questions...and if we listen very closely, a prayer is often its own answer. ...We pray because we are here - not to change the world, but to change ourselves. Because it is when we change ourselves...that the world is changed.”