“In every literate society, learning to read is something of an initiation, a ritualized passage out of a state of dependency and rudimentary communication.”

“Gangs have always existed—they are primarily a community a young men trying to find intensity, meaning, a path to the outer world (outside of home) that most tribal groupings addressed with rituals, rites of passage, initiation ceremonies. We’ve lost this knowledge as a culture. Gangs also exist when there are lots of empties in a person, in family, in community. It points out how we need to do more to bring real art, passions, teachings, caring, and resources into the emptiness of young peoples’ lives…”

“To learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark.”

“Every time you step out on to the stage, you learn something which helps you grow and be a better communicator. It’s not like you’re the master. You’re always a student.”

“Rituals of belonging (ordeals, oaths, rites of passage) are designed to disambiguate membership.”

“Strong joy and grief depend upon the treatment this rudimentary social self receives.”

“Every reader exists to ensure for a certain book a modest immortality. Reading is, in this sense, a ritual of rebirth.”

“The learning process is something you can incite, literally incite, like a riot.”

“I like to stretch my mind by reading and writing and watching educational TV shows like The Bachelor to learn the complex mating rituals of heterosexuals.”

“Reading makes me feel I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person…. Reading is bliss.”