Talya Salman

“The names scared us. How is it that a thing gets caught inside a name
and then never comes out again? Everything becomes bigger when it’s
named, but we didn’t know that then; that was why we played. And we said,
“Isn’t this a good game.”
― Abdres Barba

“Are you?” he asks. “Happy?”
I lift a shoulder. “I could be happier, I guess. Couldn’t we all?”
― Elissa Sussman, Funny You Should Ask

“I didn’t have a specific place where my Perfect Day would occur.
I just knew it would be somewhere that it got cold. I wanted to be
wearing a cozy sweater and warm jacket. It didn’t need to be
freezing, but I imagined the weather would be chilly enough to make
my cheeks red. I’d be in a small town. The kind of town where
people knew you. Where you’d walk past a store and the owner
would pop their head out the door trying to lure you inside to see the
latest jewelry they got in stock, or to try a new recipe they were
testing. At some point, I’d get a hot chocolate with lots of
marshmallows, using the heat from the cup to keep my hands warm.
I’d walk down a street lined with twinkly lights and garlands draped
between lampposts. Everyone I walked past would say hello. When
it got just cold enough, that’s when I’d walk past the bookshop. It
would smell like cider inside and sure enough, there would be a little
beverage cart near the door with cups and a cheery sign that would
read help yourself. I’d switch out my hot chocolate for a cider and
wander around the store. It would be large but full of books and
leather chairs and maybe even a cat lounging on some shelves.
Every book I wanted to buy would be in stock and I’d find a few
more that I hadn’t even known I wanted. But the thing that made it
the Perfect Day would be that when I went to check out, the
salesperson would recognize me. It’s you, they’d say, and then point
to a shelf where my book was prominently displayed. Would you
mind signing some copies? they’d ask. We’re big fans of your work.
That, I think, would truly be the Perfect Day.”
― Elissa Sussman, Funny You Should Ask

“And there’s something deeply satisfying about finishing a puzzle.
About placing that last piece, that satisfyingly soft snap of it fitting
together perfectly.
That’s not my favorite part, though.
My favorite part is after I spread my hands over the smooth,
assembled surface, marveling in the work I’ve completed, I then
undo it all.”
― Elissa Sussman, Funny You Should Ask