Melissa Maresca

“It is likely I will die next to a pile of things I was meaning to read.”
― Lemony Snicket

“A mere smile can determine a woman's fate. It is frightening. Fascinatingly so. I have to be careful.”
― Osamu Dazai, Schoolgirl

“There are two good reasons to put your napkin in your lap. One is that food might spill in your lap, and it is better to stain the napkin than your clothing. The other is that it can serve as a perfect hiding place. Practically nobody is nosey enough to take the napkin off a lap to see what is hidden there.”
― Lemony Snicket, Who Could That Be at This Hour?

“a woman raised her hand and said that her minister had told the congregation that they should never read novels with omniscient narrators, because the writer was trying to imitate God. “Really?” I said. “No Tolstoy? No Dickens?” The woman shook her head. I have to say it thrilled me to think that narrative structure was dangerous enough to rate its own Sunday sermon.) ”
― Ann Patchett, The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life