"...we accept the love we think we deserve."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I would die for you. But I won't live for you."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn't stop for anybody."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I think that if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset. And even if somebody else has it much worse, that doesn't really change the fact that you have what you have."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I am very interested and fascinated how everyone loves each other, but no one really likes each other."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"So, I guess we are who we are for alot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"...And I thought about how many people have loved those songs. And how many people got through a lot of bad times because of those songs. And how many people enjoyed good times with those songs. And how much those songs really mean. I think it would be great to have written one of those songs. I bet if I wrote one of them, I would be very proud. I hope the people who wrote those songs are happy. I hope they feel it's enough. I really do because they've made me happy. And I'm only one person. "
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I walked over to the hill where we used to go and sled. There were a lot of little kids there. I watched them flying. Doing jumps and having races. And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Enjoy it. Because it's happening."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

""t's strange because sometimes, I read a book, and I think I am the people in the book.""
— Stephen Chbosky

"It's just that I don't want to be somebody's crush. If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it too."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"There's nothing like deep breaths after laughing that hard. Nothing in the world like a sore stomach for the right reasons."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Chops"
because that was the name of his dog

And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and a gold star
And his mother hung it on the kitchen door
and read it to his aunts
That was the year Father Tracy
took all the kids to the zoo

And he let them sing on the bus
And his little sister was born
with tiny toenails and no hair
And his mother and father kissed a lot
And the girl around the corner sent him a
Valentine signed with a row of X's

and he had to ask his father what the X's meant
And his father always tucked him in bed at night
And was always there to do it

Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Autumn"

because that was the name of the season
And that's what it was all about
And his teacher gave him an A
and asked him to write more clearly
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because of its new paint

And the kids told him
that Father Tracy smoked cigars
And left butts on the pews
And sometimes they would burn holes
That was the year his sister got glasses
with thick lenses and black frames
And the girl around the corner laughed

when he asked her to go see Santa Claus
And the kids told him why
his mother and father kissed a lot
And his father never tucked him in bed at night
And his father got mad
when he cried for him to do it.


Once on a paper torn from his notebook
he wrote a poem
And he called it "Innocence: A Question"
because that was the question about his girl
And that's what it was all about
And his professor gave him an A

and a strange steady look
And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door
because he never showed her
That was the year that Father Tracy died
And he forgot how the end
of the Apostle's Creed went

And he caught his sister
making out on the back porch
And his mother and father never kissed
or even talked
And the girl around the corner
wore too much makeup
That made him cough when he kissed her

but he kissed her anyway
because that was the thing to do
And at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag
he tried another poem

And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"
Because that's what it was really all about
And he gave himself an A
and a slash on each damned wrist
And he hung it on the bathroom door
because this time he didn't think

he could reach the kitchen."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I walk around the school hallways and look at the people. I look at the teachers and wonder why they're here. If they like their jobs. Or us. And I wonder how smart they were when they were fifteen. Not in a mean way. In a curious way. It's like looking at all the students and wondering who's had their heart broken that day, and how they are able to cope with having three quizzes and a book report due on top of that. Or wondering who did the heart breaking. And wondering why."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Downtown. Lights on buildings and everything that makes you wonder. And in that moment, I swear we were infinite."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"We didn't talk about anything heavy or light. We were just there together. And that was enough
"
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"and all the books you’ve read have been ready by other people. and all the songs you’ve loved have been heard by other people. and that girl that’s pretty to you is pretty to other people. and you know that if you looked at these facts when you were happy, you would feel great because you are describing “unity.” "
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"If somebody likes me, I want them to like the real me, not what they think I am. And I don't want them to carry it around inside. I want them to show me, so I can feel it, too. I want them to be able to do whatever they want around me.
"
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"It was the kind of kiss that made
me know that I was never so happy in my whole life."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Everyone else is either asleep or having sex. I've been watching cable television and eating jello."
— Stephen Chbosky

"And I guess I realized at that moment that I really did love her. Because there was nothing to gain, and that didn't matter."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"The inside jokes weren't jokes anymore. They had become stories. Nobody brought up the bad names or the bad times. And nobody felt sad as long as we could postpone tomorrow with more nostalgia. "
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I have decided that maybe I want to write when I grow up. I just don't know what I would write."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

""...and as of this moment, we were infinite.""
— Stephen Chbosky

"So, I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose wherever we go from there. We can still do things. And we can try to feel okay about them..."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"there is this one photograph... that is just beautiful. it would be impossible to describe how beautiful it is, but i’ll try. if you listen to the song “asleep,” and you think about those pretty weather days that make you remember things, and you think about the prettiest eyes you’ve known, and you cry and the person holds you back, then i think you will see the photograph. "
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I wanted to laugh. Or maybe get mad. Or maybe shrug at how strange everyone was, especially me."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

""Just tell me how to be different in a way that makes sense.""
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

""Do you always think this much, Charlie?" "Is that bad?" "Not necessarily. It's just that sometimes people use thought to not participate in life." "Is that bad?" "Yes.""
— Stephen Chbosky

"And I thought that all those little kids are going to grow up someday. And all of those little kids are going to do the things that we do. And they will all kiss someone someday. But for now, sledding is enough. I think it would be great if sledding were always enough, but it isn't."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"i am both happy and sad at the same time, and im still trying to figure out how that could be."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Patrick actually used to be popular before Sam bought him some good music."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

""We only accept the love we think we deserve." 'The Perks of Being A Wallflower"
— Stephen Chbosky

""I just don't want you to worry about me, or think you've met me, or waste your time anymore.""
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I think the idea is that every person has to live for his or her own life and then make the choice to share it with other people. Maybe that is what makes people "participate.""
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"It's like he would take a photograph of Sam, and the photograph
would be beautiful. And he would think that the reason the
photograph was beautiful was because of how he took it. If I took
it, I would know that the only reason it's beautiful is because of
Sam."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Sometimes, I look outside, and I think that a lot of other people have seen this snow before. Just like I think that a lot of other people have read those books before. And listened to those songs.
I wonder how they feel tonight.
"
— Stephen Chbosky

"...if I ever have kids, and they are upset, I won't tell them that people are starving in China or anything like that because it wouldn't change the fact that they were upset."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I guess we are who we are for a lot of reasons. And maybe we'll never know most of them. But even if we don't have the power to choose where we come from, we can still choose where we go from there.
"
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"I just hope I remember to tell my kids that they are as happy as I look in my old photographs. And I hope that they believe me."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"Something really is wrong with me. And I don't know what it is."
— Stephen Chbosky

"So, this is my life. And I want you to know that I am both happy and sad and I'm still trying to figure out how that could be."
— Stephen Chbosky

"i feel infinite"
— Stephen Chbosky

"Dear friend,
I feel great! I really mean it. I have to remember his for the next time I'm having a terrible week. Have you wer done that? You feel really bad, and then it goes away, and you don't know why. I try to remind myself when I feel great like this that there will be another terrible week coming someday, so I should store up as many great details as I can, so during the next terrible week, I can remember those details and believe that I'll feel great again. It doesn't work a lot, but I think it's very important to try. "
— Stephen Chbosky

""Five minutes of a lifetime were truly spent, and we felt young in a good way.""
— Stephen Chbosky

"Love pats are soft punches of encouragement that are admistered on the knee, shoulder, and arm."
— Stephen Chbosky

"On Friday night, I was reading my new book, but my brain got tired, so I decided to watch some television instead."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)

"You know . . . a lot of kids at school hate their parents. Some of them got hit. And some of them got caught in the middle of wrong lives. Some of them were trophies for their parents to show the neighbors like ribbons or gold stars. And some of them just wanted to drink in peace."
— Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower)