“Never let negativity derail your journey as a writer. Use the energy for your own betterment.”

“When gangs took over the [abandoned public land in Philadelphia] and the neighborhood took a turn for the worse, horses became a way of saving lives. By getting boys interested in raising a horse rather than killing another human being, these cowboys gave the youth something positive: father figures, focus, and the ability to stand tall.”

“You must remain pure of heart on this journey... Be courageous but remember to also be noble and everything will be all right.”

“¡Y yo me llamé la Diosa!”

“Se me hace muy chistoso que el mesero, que se ve a leguas que es mexicano, sin embargo nos hable en inglés. Luego va y le pasa la orden obviamente en español a otro, también mexicano. Pero ambos, él y nosotros, seguimos la farsa y nos negamos a reconocernos. No sé ya quién esnobea a quién.”

“And the pomegranates,/like memories, are bittersweet/as we huddle together,/remembering just how good/life used to be”

“The world could be standing still, and we'd all be just as dizzy.”