More often now he reached for words but found only word-shaped holes.

As he spoke, her expression passed through every shade of sadness, distaste, anger, disappointment, irritation, contempt, pity, dismissal. Somewhere along the way he’d lost her respect, if he’d ever had it, and couldn’t find his way back.

In this work I have struggled to maintain the proper tone of operatic self abnegation.

This is the only place on earth where I have final say.

Maximum number of sounds heard simultaneously:

When she was little and saw something she liked, she would simply say, “Have it.” And although I know that you, despite this happiness, would rather die than go back, I’d give everything I have to hear it one more time.

The symbol of the cross, which refers to the indivisible nature of the spirit and the incarnate existence it is nailed to.

The level of stupidity was loosely commensurate to the level of ambition.