Listen. To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know. In perfect stillness, frankly, I've only found sorrow. Barbara Kingsolver More Quotes by Barbara Kingsolver More Quotes From Barbara Kingsolver Every betrayal contains a perfect moment, a coin stamped heads or tails with salvation on the other side. Barbara Kingsolver heads-or-tails betrayal perfect Like kids who only ever get socks for Christmas, but still believe with all their hearts in Santa. Barbara Kingsolver heart believe kids I'm not pretending to be ingenuous; I know what I'm doing. Barbara Kingsolver pretending knows Because I could not stop for death he kindly stopped for me, or paused at least to strike a glancing blow with his sky-blue mouth as he passed. Barbara Kingsolver blow sky blue Why is it that only girls stand on the sides of their feet? As if they're afraid to plant themselves? Barbara Kingsolver feminist girl feet Literature duplicates the experience of living in a way that nothing else can, drawing you so fully into another life that you temporarily forget you have one of your own. That is why you read it, and might even sit up in bed till early dawn, throwing your whole tomorrow out of whack, simply to find out what happens to some people who, you know perfectly well, are made up. Barbara Kingsolver drawing writing people It's a funny thing: people often ask how I discipline myself to write. I can't begin to understand the question. For me, the discipline is turning off the computer and leaving my desk to do something else. Barbara Kingsolver funny-things discipline writing But the last one: the baby who trails her scent like a flag of surrender through your life when there will be no more coming after - oh, that's love by a different name. She is the babe you hold in your arms for an hour after she's gone to sleep. If you put her down in the crib, she might wake up changed and fly away. So instead you rock my the window, drinking the light from her skin, breathing her exhaled dreams. Your heart bays to the double crescent moons of closed lashes on her cheeks. She's the one you can't put down. Barbara Kingsolver drinking dream baby I learned to produce whether I wanted to or not. It would be easy to say oh, I have writer's block, oh, I have to wait for my muse. I don't. Chain that muse to your desk and get the job done. Barbara Kingsolver block waiting jobs If we can't, as artists, improve on real life, we should put down our pencils and go bake bread. Barbara Kingsolver real bread art Growing food was the first activity that gave us enough prosperity to stay in one place, form complex social groups, tell our stories, and build our cities. Barbara Kingsolver groups cities firsts Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It's everyone's, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet. Barbara Kingsolver pavement feet thinking The power is in the balance: we are our injuries, as much as we are our successes. Barbara Kingsolver injury balance Gilbert has established herself as a straight-up storyteller who dares us into adventures of worldly discovery, and this novel stands as a winning next act. “The Signature of All Things” is a bracing homage to the many natures of genius and the inevitable progress of ideas, in a world that reveals its best truths to the uncommonly patient minds. Barbara Kingsolver truth winning adventure I considered her my ally, because, like me, she was imperfect. Barbara Kingsolver like-me imperfect allies Households that have lost the soul of cooking from their routines may not know what they are missing: the song of a stir-fry sizzle, the small talk of clinking measuring spoons, the yeasty scent of rising dough, the painting of flavors onto a pizza before it slides into the oven. Barbara Kingsolver vegetables song animal Be still, and the world is bound to turn herself inside out to entertain you. Everywhere you look, joyful noise is clanging to drown out quiet desperation. Barbara Kingsolver patience looks world But kids don't stay with you if you do it right. It's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run. Barbara Kingsolver mother running jobs Cooking is 80 percent confidence, a skill best acquired starting from when the apron strings wrap around you twice. Barbara Kingsolver skills vegetables animal A certain feeling comes from throwing your good life away, and it is one part rapture. Barbara Kingsolver good-life throwing feelings
