Short stories and some short novels are close to poetry--with the fewest words they capture the essence of a situation, of a human being. It's like trying to pin down the eternal moment.

It’s over me like a ton of water, the things I don’t know.

Some days after, the girl encountered her again, in a dream, as she was years ago: a very slender young woman in a long white skirt, her amber hair to her waist, her eyes coal black with ardor.

The day was cold, and every time the little transparent fans of water swept in and drew back, the wet sand mirrored a clear sky and the sun on its way down.

Loving her was heaven that turned to hell when she died.

Plans are only good intentions unless they immediately degenerate into hard work.

Going out and playing football or baseball with the boys, when I was a tomboy, was a great way to learn about winning and losing, and most girls didn't have that experience.

Nothing is funnier than confidently doing the wrong thing.

It takes two hands to clap! I cannot be solely blamed for what happened in my relationships! If things soured, it happened because of both parties. Not just me!

There is an atmosphere of well-sounding oratory that likes to attach itself to dress clothes. Away with it!

True spirituality is a mental attitude you can practice at any time.

The only reason of the institution of civil government; and the only rational ground of submission to it, is the common safety and utility

I played with dolls until I was 15. My mother encouraged it because my older sister got married when she was 15, so Mom thought that the longer I stayed with dolls, the better.

Even if you yourself were unhappy and anxious, whenever you glimpsed happiness in your child, you suddenly became happy too.