“The chief reason for going to school is to get the impression fixed for life that there is a book side for everything.”

“I have the impression that our children are much more excited about going to school than children in other countries are. They think of it as a special privilege. Going to school, being with other children, getting books and pencils - all of that is like a dream for them.”

“I was born with the impression that what happened in books was much for reasonable, and interesting, and real, in some ways, than what happened in life.”

“Getting into a fight with a popular senior. Pissing off a school teacher and the local chief of police. Hanging with two major-league losers." She slapped my back. "Welcome to high school.”

“The home is the chief school of human virtues.”

“When everything gets messy and brutal and complicated, the truth is the first thing to go, isn't it? People try to shade it or spin it or fix it. As though fixing the facts will make the situation less messy and brutal and complicated.”