“Identity is your role in life, the part you play. Individuality is who you are, and who you are is revealed to you if you can get to complete presence.”

“My teacher Tom Spanbauer, the man who got me started writing in his workshop, used to say: 'Writers write because they weren't invited to a party.' That always struck so true, and people always nod their heads when they hear that. Especially writers.”

“I was wounded by a blow of love.”

“Life is absolutely, mysteriously beautiful.”

“Every time you hear a car alarm, Ruby said, another New Yorker has gone to hell.”

“God made man because he loves to hear stories, Alessandro said. That's a good story, huh?”

“Identity is your role in life, the part you play. Individuality is who you are, and who you are is revealed to you if you can get to complete presence.”

“There is nothing more lonely than a true artist.”

“Books are in the mind, Grandfather Alessandro said. Too many books and you forget your body is in the world.”

“That's when you stop being one way and start being another, Ruby said. Not something many people can do, or want to do. In fact, Ruby said, The only people who cross over, cross over because they're on some kind of Mission Impossible.I could no longer live and stay the way I was, I said.”

“Have some fun while you wait for the will of heaven.”