Madhuri (Mads)

“The thing about getting old, Bar,” Toot had told me, “is that you’re the same person inside.” I remember her eyes studying me through her thick bifocals, as if to make sure I was paying attention. “You’re trapped in this doggone contraption that starts falling apart. But it’s still you. You understand?” I did now.”
― Barack Obama, A Promised Land

“My dad once told me it’s best to think of each story as a journey. Each sentence, even each word, is a step toward your destination, and you have to be careful where you step as a storyteller because the people are stepping after you. You want to make sure they’re going where you want them to go, because you’re carving a path together.”
― Alicia Elliott, And Then She Fell

“To speak is to stumble, to hesitate, to detour and hit dead ends. To listen is straightforward. You can always just listen.”
― Miri Yū , Tokyo Ueno Station

“I experienced failure and learned to buck up so I could rally those who’d put their trust in me. I suffered rejections and insults often enough to stop fearing them. In other words, I grew up—and got my sense of humor back.”
― Barack Obama, A Promised Land