“He killed himself for wanting to live.”

“July 24, 6:03 A.M.The laundry was warm and the rafters were firm, and Michael Holzapfel jumped from the chair as if it were a cliff...Michael Holzapfel knew what he was doing. He killed himself for wanting to live.”

“How'd it feel?" Rube asked himself. "I don't know exactly, but it made me want to howl.”

“If they killed him tonight, at least he would die alive.”

“I just know that right now, we want to be proud. For once. We want to take the struggle and rise above it. We want to frame it, live it, survive it. We want to put it in our mouths and taste it and never forget it, because it makes us strong.”

“The first couple of times, he simply stayed - a stranger to kill the aloneness. A few nights after that, he whispered “Shhh, I’m here, its alright.” After three weeks, he held her. Trust was accumulated quickly, due primarily to the brute strength of the man’s gentleness, his thereness.”

“Oh, come on, Arthur.""I don't want to hear it, Andy.""Jesus Christ""He doesn't want to hear it, either.”