james

“You think...that my life is shameful because my encounters are. And they are. But you should ask yourself why they are.
Why are they—shameful?
Because there is no affection in them, and no joy. It’s like putting an electric plug in a dead socket. Touch, but no contact. All touch, but no contact and no light.”
― James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room

“Why, you will go home and then you will find that home is not home anymore. Then you will really be in trouble. As long as you stay here, you can always think: One day I will go home.”
― James Baldwin, Giovanni’s Room

“I think there’s something beautiful about being lucky enough to witness a thing on its way out.”
― Becky Chambers, A Psalm for the Wild-Built

“I'm not obstinate, I'm highly strung: I don't know how to let myself go. I must always think of what is happening to me - it's a form of self-protection.”
― Jean-Paul Sartre, The Age of Reason