“His mind was freshly inclined toward sorrow; toward the fact that the world was full of sorrow; that everyone labored under some burden of sorrow; that all were suffering; that whatever way one took in this world, one must try to remember that all were suffering (none content; all wronged, neglected, overlooked, misunderstood), and therefore one must do what one could to lighten the load of those with whom one came into contact; that his current state of sorrow was not uniquely his, not at all, but, rather, its like had been felt, would be felt, by scores of others, in all times, in every time, and must not be prolonged or exaggerated, because, in this state, he could be of no help to anyone and, given that his position in the world situated him to be either of great help, or great harm, it would not do to stay low, if he could help it.”
― Lincoln in the Bardo
― Lincoln in the Bardo
“We must see God not as a Him (some linear rewarding fellow) but an IT, a great beast beyond our understanding, who wants something from us, and we must give it, and all we may control is the spirit in which we give it and the ultimate end which the giving serves.”
― Lincoln in the Bardo
― Lincoln in the Bardo
“...the single ingredient in American literature that distinguishes it from other literatures of the world is a kind of giddy, illogical hopefulness. It is quite technically sophisticated while remaining ideologically naïve.”
― The Hotel New Hampshire
― The Hotel New Hampshire
“The enslaved were not bricks in your road, and their lives were not chapters in your redemptive history. They were people turned to fuel for the American machine.”
― Between the World and Me
― Between the World and Me
“I would not have you descend into your own dream. I would have you be a conscious citizen of this terrible and beautiful world.”
― Between the World and Me
― Between the World and Me
Vaughn’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Vaughn’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
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