David Mark Brown > Quotes

“It seemed fitting that the sheriff would be more concerned about his precious toys than about stomping out a terrible evil.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“A man that knows how to be a friend will always find a friend when he needs one.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“I occupied myself by watching my daughter sleep, the act of which impressed two things upon me. First, she possessed the ability to trust a madman we’d just met well enough to sleep. Second, I loved her for it. Why should she have to suffer like the rest of us?”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“I was referring to your commitment to perfection. The problem is, if you don’t mind me saying . . .” He looked away. “Be my annoying guest.” “Is that perfection makes losing really difficult to deal with.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“When you have little, there is little to be taken, and much to defend.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Is that where you’re going to sleep?” Muddy indicated Chancho’s saddle. “Sure. Good a spot as any to be blessed with my presence. Maybe I’ll even use a rock as a pillow and have visions of angels climbing back and forth on a ladder from heaven.” “Catholics are crazy.” Nena lowered the tailgate to the chuck wagon. “Besides, don’t angels have wings? Why would they need a ladder?” Chancho scratched his chin. “You know, that’s a good question. I’ll have to ask Jacob when I see him.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“revolution could still be possible through sacrifice rather than force. The dreamer’s very soul births a dream, his energy nourishes it, his life’s blood brings it to blossom. Jesus had summarized it brilliantly, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Pepito, sometimes when bad people do bad things, good people must do good things.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Times like these reminded me of how easily religion could deform mysticism into manipulation.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“What if the hunting party is not just hunting El Chupacabra?” Muddy nodded. “You mean what if they are after us.” “They may accuse us of stealing goats. They may be angry or jealous of the land. They will not need good reason, especially if empowered by the law. My father taught me well that the law is a false god to many. And the ranger —” “He is trouble.” Nena continued, “If he is anything like los rinches in Chancho’s stories, yes, he is trouble.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Prohibition was a damned travesty cooked up by spineless goodie-goodies like his own father, too incapacitated by their own self-righteousness to scourge the world of evil with blood and sweat. Instead they depended on lilly-livered pastors and politicians to do the job for them.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Would you like to join us, McCutchen? If I remember correctly, you favor a good steak? Bravo’s has the best, and there’s a decent chance nobody’ll shoot at us.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“We’d made so many aborted attempts Doc had already earned the nickname Snipe Hunt.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“I got reason to believe that the Mexican feller, as you called him, and his compadres are growing the largest crop of marihuana Texas has ever seen, maybe the only crop, and I plan on stopping them.” “Marihuana? You mean that stuff the Mexicans roll into cigarettes?” “Exactly.” “No offense,” Lickter lifted his hat to wipe his brow, “but with everything going on in the borderlands, why the hell are the rangers fussing over a plant that never harmed no one? There ain’t no law against marihuana.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“The old man attempted to kill me with his bushy, gray eyebrows.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“McCutchen knew a demon when he saw one, and he’d burn it out of the Catholic Hills like he’d burned it out of Matamoros years ago.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Damn cars will never be much count verses a man on a good horse.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“His thoughts were haunted by flames—first the field of marihuana, then the bonfire, then the old woman’s house. The cackling faces of the vaqueros possessed by the narcotic, the silhouette of the girl slumping dead in a sliver of moonlight, the old woman eviscerated for helping him—all of it consumed by the haunting flames.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“With gunrunning, goat rustling and general banditry driving reprisal killings to an all-time high, the general mood was such that Anglos hated Mexicans, Mexicans hated Anglos, and just to make things worse, a handful of old Tejanos resented both.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Chancho extended his hand. The woman stood on tiptoes, resting her breasts on the counter as she reached across to shake it. The view reminded him of God’s genius in creating woman.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“He is crazy, you know that.” Nena relaxed, leaning against a log. “Yes. I knew that the moment I realized he was a friend.” “Why? Because someone has to be crazy to like you?” Muddy stirred the beans with his back to Nena. “You said it.” She thumped him with a dirt clod. “Hey, you’ll get dirt in the beans.” “Like there isn’t dirt in the beans already.” Muddy mocked offense, “There’s never dirt in my beans. Mealy worms, maybe.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“End well, he repeated to himself. Even if he had no friends, he must be a friend.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Chancho stood, dusting off his knees. The boy continuing, “you should leave the dust, so that people will know you’ve been praying. It works with my mother.” Chancho followed the natural course of introductions. “How’s that?” “When I am supposed to come to church for morning prayers I play outside instead, but when I’m finished I make sure my knees are dirty so that I don’t get in trouble.” The boy grinned proudly. “That is very clever, but what excuse do you give God?” The boy looked insulted. “God doesn’t need any excuses, he knows my heart.” Bested, Chancho had to agree with the child’s logic.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Why does everyone want to kill us?” Evie spoke into the dirt. I stood, double-checking our immediate surroundings. “To be fair, there have been fewer than fifty people who’ve tried to kill us in the last month. That’s hardly everyone.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“Bravo’s did indeed serve a quality steak, without need of adulteration with sauce. The blood, the heat, the salt rub applied just before the flames charred the surface to lock in its flavor—this one thing done right redeemed a week’s worth of wrong. Daisy’s advances seemed clumsy in comparison to the grace McCutchen found in his ribeye.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“Getting old isn’t all rainbows and unicorn farts.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods

“I’m not certain.” “Well, you will be when my son returns, if he returns.” She feigned exasperation while tucking a ringlet of loose hair behind her ear. “He seems very bright.” “Oh he is, but he can be a handful. And my hands are so small.” She held one up for Chancho to inspect.”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“a bloated horse caught in a log jam,”
― David Mark Brown, Fistful of Reefer

“You and my father have more in common than you think.” “Really? I hope you’re not calling me an imprudent adrenaline flunky with an irrational fetish for lab coats.”
― David Mark Brown, Desert Gods