“There's no stopping the soul that radiates out and around us, any more than one can stop the sweet perfume of a rose. You could, of course, hold your nose. But the rose will continue to exude its rich fragrance, even while you suffocate.”

“Mystical insight and enlightenment occur when the veil between the worlds is lifted, the worlds are bridged, the gap closes, and we cross over.”

“Sissy dear. Your thumbs. HOLLYWOOD SPECTACULAR. LAS VEGAS. THE ROSE BOWL. Larger than any one man's desire.”

“you can complain because roses have thorns or you can rejoice because thorns have roses.”

“When reading, one needs to remember that poets and philosophers are not prescribing courses of action but exploring aspects of existence.”

“If there was one thing Sam understood, it was guilt. It didn't have to be logical; oftentimes it wasn't. Itsawed at your gut relentlessly, tediously, until you wore it like a scar.”

“Life is a mess, Rose said. You can fix the mess human beings make, Rose said, But you can't fix the mess being human is.”