“We talk about books in language that connotes permanence, solidity, the ability to change worlds and lives. And certainly that's sometimes accurate. But not most of the time. I would even argue an overwhelming majority of the time.

When we talk about books in ways that connote ephemerality, un-lasting-ness, a feeling gone before you can name it, stuff that disappears and doesn't change any worlds, lives...that's what the majority of books do. It's still beautiful. And we kid ourselves, saying otherwise.”