The ordinary can be like medicine.

It was so quiet, a reservation kind of quiet, where you can hear somebody drinking whiskey on the rocks three miles away.

He looked into the crowd for approval, saw his mother and father. He waved and they waved back. Smiles and Indian teeth. They were both drunk. Everything familiar and welcome. Everything beautiful.

Summer coming like a car from down the highway.

Seems like the cold would never go away and winter would be like the bottom of my feet but then it is gone in one night and in its place comes the sun so large and laughable.

The white people always want to fight someone and they always get the dark-skinned people to do the fighting.

How much do we remember of what hurts us most? I've been thinking about pain, how each of us constructs our past to justify what we feel now. How each successive pain distorts the preceding.

More and more, he heard his spine playing stick games through his skin, singing old dusty words, the words of all his years.

I have a theory that movies operate on the level of dreams, where you dream yourself.

If a lion invites you home for dinner, it is you he wants to serve as a meal to his guests.

Why settle for an unsuccessful life when living successfully is already an option in your life's journey?

The desperation was coming off you in waves. You were all but begging to dance with me. I am doing you a favor.

I've never really understood the criticism that climbing is inherently selfish, since it could equally be argued about virtually any other hobby or sport. Is gardening selfish?

Mark in what order: first, our calling; then, our election; not beginning with our election first. By our calling, arguing our election.

Well we're good friends so I'm a little prejudice, but I think [Hillary Clinton] is incredibly qualified, and better prepared to be president than almost anyone who's ever run frankly.

Seasickness: at first you are so sick you are afraid you will die, and then you are so sick you are afraid you won't die.

I don't have to promise myself anything. That's all part of the wonderfulness that is me.

I don't like losing money. I don't go gamble. Because I don't want to lose any money. I didn't grow up with any money and I'm not going to go gamble and lose money.