Crossing Borders Quotes

“Dear Lord,” began Randy, who paused for long enough that Tristan sneaked an eye open to look at him. His saw his mother’s cheek twitch with what he thought might be apprehension. “We are so grateful to be gathered here today with our family, and the family of our brother’s homosexual boyfriend, and our new little goth friend who has a gay dad, whatever the heck that is all about. We’d like to say we’re grateful this year for condoms, lube, and Ellen Degeneres, and for those guys on Queer Eye…”

Randall Evan Phillips!” his mother shouted.”
― Z.A. Maxfield, Crossing Borders

“Rich people don’t have to have a life-and-death relationship with the truth and its questions; they can ignore the truth and still thrive materially. I am not surprised many of them understand literature only as an ornament. Life is an ornament to them, relationships are ornaments, their 'work' is but a flimsy, pretty ornament meant to momentarily thrill and capture attention.”
― Sergio Troncoso, Crossing Borders: Personal Essays

“Everyone knows: people who cross boarders do so for a reason.”
― M.D. Elster, Four Kings

“A good writer should be able to communicate to the reader, 'I know your life. I know what you have truly experienced. It’s not right or wrong. It’s survival. It’s making mistakes, and trying to redeem yourself. It’s imperfections, and trying to make yourself better. It’s outrages, and crimes, and insults, which often are not righted, which you have to fix yourself, in your own mind, in your own heart, so that you are not poisoned'.”
― Sergio Troncoso, Crossing Borders: Personal Essays

“La Cortina di ferro lì a due passi
inquietava suo padre ma non lui
che nei cartelli con scritto STAATGRENZE
vedeva solo l’inizio di un mondo.
Semplicemente una linea che Dio
aveva disegnato sulla Terra
apposta perché lui l’oltrepassasse.”
― Paolo Rumiz, La cotogna di Istanbul. Ballata per tre uomini e una donna

“Quer saber? Eu comparo estes cento e cinquenta quilômetros à senda prometida por Deus às criaturas, que a percorreram antes de serem direcionadas ao paraíso ou ao inferno. Se alguém cair, vai para o inferno, e, se atravessar com segurança, chega ao paraíso. Quanto aos anjos… aqui seriam os guardas da fronteira.”
― Ghassan Kanafani, رجال في الشمس