“I used to sleep with my books in piles all over my bed and sometimes they were the only thing keeping me warm and always the only thing keeping me alive. Books are the best and worst defense.”

“False hope is the bread - and - butter of my existence, the only thing that keeps me going.”

“My only books
Were woman's looks,
And folly's all they've taught me.”

“All lost things are in the angels' keeping, Love;
No past is dead for us, but only sleeping, Love.”

“I tend to keep books of art more than anything else now. I'm interested in visual things. And astronomy books. Things you can look at over and over and over again and see something new. … My notions of God and the universe have always been too small. And limited by language. So now I'm looking at picture books. My children say I'm just beginning to enter my dotage: can't read, just looks at picture books.”

“Books and beer are the best and worst defense.”

“The world in books seemed so much more alive to me than anything outside. I could see things I'd never seen before. Books and music were my best friends. I had a couple of good friends at school, but never met anyone I could really speak my heart to.”

“My books piled up before me for my use waiting in space where I placed them, they haven't disappeared, time's left its remnants and qualities for me to use -- my words piled up, my texts, my manuscripts, my loves.”

“The only thing that keeps us alive is when we still have hope.”

“You will not believe me, but I am proud of your strength. Sometimes… sometimes the only way I can care for my children is to keep my distance.”