A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius

by Dave Eggers

One should joke in the face of adversity; there is always humor, we are told.

I did not know that the last time I saw my father would be the last time I would see my father.

All words will be considered her last, until they are followed by others.

His brain is my laboratory, my depository. Into it I can stuff the books I choose, the television shows, the movies, my opinion about elected officials, historical events, neighbors, passersby. He is my twenty-four-hour classroom, my captive audience, forced to ingest everything I deem worthwhile. He is a lucky, lucky boy! And no one can stop me. He is mine, and you cannot stop me, cannot stop us.

have just delivered a State of the Family Room Address, sweeping in scope, visionary in strategy, inspirational to one and all, and the issue has now moved to committee.

There is a voice inside me, a very excited, chirpy voice, that urges me to keep things merry, madcap even, the mood buoyant. Because Beth is always pulling out old photo albums, crying, asking Toph how he feels, I feel I have to overcompensate by keeping us occupied.

You will die, and when you die, you will know a profound lack of it. It’s never dignified, always brutal.