Shirlene Vanhook

“He felt the loyalty we feel to unhappiness - the sense that is where we really belong.”
― Graham Greene, The Heart of the Matter

“Each thing in its way, when true to its own character, is equally beautiful. (p 41)”
― Edward Abbey, Desert Solitaire

“The whites, you see, are tempted by their egos and have no means to resist. We Japanese, on the other hand, know our egos are nothing. We bend our egos, all of the time, and that is where we differ. That is the fundamental difference, Hatsue. We bend our heads, we bow and are silent, because we understand that by ourselves, alone, we are nothing at all, dust in a strong wind, while the hakujin believes his aloneness is everything, his separateness is the foundation of his existence. He seeks and grasps, seeks and grasps for his separateness, while we seek union with the Greater Life—you must see that these are distinct paths we are traveling, Hatsue, the hakujin and we Japanese.”
― David Guterson, Snow Falling on Cedars

“There's a line in the Bible about perfect love casting out fear. That I don't know about, but orneriness will do it every time.”
― Peter S. Beagle, Tamsin