- May Sarton, in "Journal of a Solitude" (on its way to Catharine today)

In my experience, that's how the existential crises work--we come to them again and again until we figure out what we need to figure out. And then we get new ones.

But every instantiation of it is different, and that is important to remember. Permutations, always permutations.

- Julie, in e-mail last Thursday

Carol went back to the stove and poured two cups of tea. A moment later, she plunked one of them down in front of Mary. She said, "Here. Don't look back. Just fortify yourself and keep going."

- Jane Smiley, in "Moo"

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