“Don’t be in too much of a rush to be published. There is enormous value in listening and reading and writing—and then putting your words away for weeks or months–and then returning to your work to polish it some more.”

“Sometimes you know in your heart you love someone, but you have to go away before your head can figure it out.”

“I wondered about Mrs. Winterbottom and what she meant about living a tiny life. If she didn't like all that baking and cleaning and jumping up to get bottles of nail polish remover and sewing hems, why did she do it? Why didn't she tell them to do some of the things themselves? Maybe she was afraid there would be nothing left for her to do. There would be no need for her and she would become invisible and no one would notice.”

“You can't keep the birds of sadness from flying over your head, but you can keep them from nesting in your hair.”

“Sometimeswhen you are trying not to think about somethingit keeps popping back in your headyou can't help ityou think about itand think about itand think about ituntil your brainfeels likea squashed pea.”

“I don't want tobecause boysdon't write poetry.Girls do.”

“Something I am wondering:if you cannot heardo you have no soundsin your head?Do you seea silent movie”