Clare

“At some point, probably not long after starting Seven Storey Books, it’d dawned on him that he in fact hated Merton and despised how he’d turned his back on the world in favor of religious devotion. Ego-driven, self-deceived little shit that he was, old Tom had been every bit as competitive about piety as he’d been in the pursuit of carnal pleasure.”
― Richard Russo, Chances Are . . .

“Aritra points out his window as we pass a turnoff. “Two kilometers up that road a man was killed by an elephant. A few days ago. Three people were working on the roadway. They ran when they saw the elephant, and one man was separated, and the elephant followed him.” This is hard for me to imagine. I grew up with Babar and National Geographic. Elephants were gentle and slow-moving. They wore spats and bright green suits. They were never something to fear. This has created a minor disconnect between myself and my hosts.”
― Mary Roach, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

“But the United States is surely not the only country working on gene drive in mammals. If we’re on it, China is too. And China has not demonstrated a comforting abundance of oversight in the realm of genetic engineering.”
― Mary Roach, Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law

“People for whom summer wasn’t a verb.”
― Richard Russo, Chances Are . . .