True citizens are not the audience of their government, nor its consumers; they are its makers.

But neither money nor machines can create. They shuttle tokens of energy, but they do not transform. A civilization based on them puts people out of touch with their creative powers.

Irony has only emergency use. Carried over time it is the voice of the trapped who have come to enjoy their cage.

A gift that cannot be given away ceases to be a gift. The spirit of a gift is kept alive by its constant donation.

An essential portion of any artist's labor is not creation so much as invocation

When we are moved by art we are grateful that the artist lived, grateful that he labored in the service of his gifts.

We are only alive to the degree that we can let ourselves be moved.

We forgive when we give up attachment to our wounds.

I think of a myth as a story that helps you explain all the different pieces of your life. In that broad sense, there is no way to live without mythology.

The gift finds the man attractive who stands with an empty bowl he does not own.

Uncovering secrets is apocalyptic in the simple sense (the Greek root means ‘an uncovering’). In this case, it lifts the shame covers. It allows articulation to enter where silence once ruled.

When a situation feels like a matter of life and death the deep self is close at hand and it already carries inner medicine and its own life remedy.

How a minority Reaching majority Seizing authority Hates a minority!

I just love seeing people embrace freedom, faith, and courage in the face of enormous odds.

When it comes to being slaves to fashion, American managers make adolescent girls look like rugged individualists.

To be born in Kentucky is a heritage; to brag about it is a habit; to appreciate it is a virtue.

Many Americans have never owned a book, and I'm not talking about because of the recent digital revolution. I'm talking about before there even was a digital revolution.

A lot of people talk about the trail healing them, but I feel like, the first time, it humbled me, which I probably needed. It was a completely new way to experience the world and my body.

Artists lead unglamorous daily lives of discipline and routine, but their work is full of passion. Each has a vision and feels responsibility to that vision.

I like to cook; it is, for me, a happy combination of mindlessness and purpose.

If I can get Me out of the way, I can do anything.