the real heroes of race and culture would always be the people who stepped out of their own line to make a larger circle. - Naomi Shihab Nye

Did people who committed acts of violence think their victims and their victims' relatives would just forget? Didn't people see? How violence went on and on like a terrible wheel? (p225)

It is really hard to be lonely very long in a world of words. Even if you don't have friends somewhere, you still have language, and it will find you and wrap its little syllables around you and suddenly there will be a story to live in.

Give up the annoying question, "How long does this have to be?" Just wonder-how long does it need to be? Then try to find out.