“But remember. Just because you don't believe in something doesn't mean it isn't real.”

“Just because you don't believe it[] [...]doesn't mean that it's not true.”

“...You can have this whole entire life, with all your opinions, your loves, your fears. Eventually those parts of you disappear. And then the people who could remember those parts of you disappear, and before long, all that's left is your name in some ledger. This...person -- she had a favorite food. She had friends and people she disliked. We don't even know how she died...I guess that's why I like preservation better than history. In preservation I feel like I can keep some of it from slipping away.”

“The philosophers stone is just an allegory. It represents everything that man wants and can never have.”

“Only by being present can you be happy. Too much attention to the past and the future takes the now away. And once it's gone, you never get it back.”

“Her freckles were delectable. Most fellows didn't care for freckles as a rule, thinking they were tough-looking. But Betty's were appealing. Like cake batter you could wipe off with your thumb, buttery and sweet.”

“Mentally Connie gathered her strands of thinking into thick handfuls, trying to braid them into a coherent whole.”