“Please, I know nothing of the world, except my father is lost in it.”

“I am a woman who slept with my father the Pope.They say I did, at least, and so does he.And who am I to make of the Pope a liar,And who is he to make a liar of me?”

“I take all the credit in the world for my own foolishness.”

“It's the only condition I know. Bitter Love, Loneliness, contempt for corruption, blind hope. It's where I live. A permanent state of bereavement. This is nothing new.”

“I like the sound of words, but I don't ever really expect my slow, slanted impression of the world to change by what I read.”

“O beautiful, to make escapeAnd leave this world behind.Had I to stay another dayI'd lose my fucking mind...”

“However in the world did her skin come green?" Nanny wondered, stupidly, for Melena blanched and Frex reddened, and the baby held her breath as if trying to turn blue to please them all. Nanny had to slap her to make her breath again.”