In the end, it wasn't death that surprised her but the stubbornness of life.

Added to their loveliness was a new mysterious suffering, perfectly silent, visible in the blue puffiness beneath their eyes or the way they would sometimes stop in mid-stride, look down, and shake their heads as though disagreeing with life.

O Earth, lie heavily upon her eyes;
Seal her sweet eyes weary of watching Earth;
Lie close around her; leave no room for mirth
With its harsh laughter, nor for sound of sighs.
She hath no questions, she hath no replies.

Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.

My change from girl to boy was far less dramatic than the distance anybody travels from infancy to adulthood.

I know that attaching memories to books may be going out of the world, but while it lasts, it's a strong record of your life.