Holly

“In the wild, there are two types of cat populations," I tell him when he finishes his move. "Residents and transients. Some stay put, in their fixed home ranges, and others are on the move. They don't have real homes. Everybody always thought that the ones who establish the territories are the most successful--like the capitalists who get ahold of Park Place. They are the strongest, while the transients are the bums, the losers." ... I continue bravely. "The thing is--this is what the scientists are wondering about now--it may be that the transients are the superior ones after all, with the greatest curiosity and most intelligence. They can't decide.”
― Bobbie Ann Mason, Shiloh and Other Stories

“It was not that she forgot the nature of her thoughts; it was rather that it had never occurred to her that thoughts "counted." In short, Mrs. Quest was like ninety-nine per cent of humanity: if she spent an afternoon jam-making, while her mind was filled with thoughts envious, spiteful, lustful--violent; then she had spent the afternoon making jam.”
― Doris Lessing, Landlocked

“Fear made me work hard, get better. It’s a dirty fuel, but it works. And anger? Anger helped me to leave him. To get my boys away from him as soon as I could. To come thrive in this country that didn’t even believe we were people. To prove it wrong. You can put a saddle on anger, Cyrus.”
― Kaveh Akbar, Martyr!

“I'd never thought of that. I forgot that things can get better. I thought things could only get worse. This is why it's important to go out into the world and not stay alone with ponds. People tell you things.”
― Julie Hecht, Do the Windows Open?