“Life is precious and all too short. So I laugh, sing and dive into things heads first with the hope that I don't scrape my ass on the bottom. And when I do I break out the bandaids”

“Darleen studies her drawing, then she looks up.'It's not that I don't believe you can get a B,' she says. 'I don't think you're half as dumb as you think I think you are.'If I was smarter, I'm sure I could figure that out.”

“A person can live a little bit broken...Most of us do, I guess.”

“Whats ironic,” he adds, shaking his head, “is that everyone’s so busy trying not to look like they’re looking at you that they’re really not looking at you.”Wait. So what you’re saying…” I pause. “What you’re saying is…people aren’t really looking at me?”

“Writing a novel is a bit like making a sword. First, you take all the raw material and melt it down in a crucible, then you take it to the anvil and hammer out as many of the impurities as possible before folding and turning the whole thing over on itself and hammering it out again. The more often you can fold it over and incorporate another layer the stronger it will be. Finally, put an edge on it, give it a handle to show to the world, and the job's done. The result should be something flexible and elegant; perfectly balanced, of suitable length and, above all with a point to it.”

“I have something in my shoes--besides my feet.”

“Doesn't it bother you that people don't get it?'Pete starts to shake his head then he catches himself and holds still.Nope,' he says. 'If you know what you love, it doesn't matter what other people think. Besides, people are challenged when they're uncomfortable.”