Michael

“For humans-trapped in biology-there was no mercy: we lived a while, we fussed around for a bit and died, we rotted in the ground like garbage. Time destroyed us all soon enough. But to destroy, or lose, a deathless thing-to break bonds stronger than the temporal-was a metaphysical uncoupling all its own, a startling new flavor of despair.”
― Donna Tartt, The Goldfinch

“Uncle Jihad used to say that what happens is of little significance compared with the stories we tell ourselves about what happens. Events matter little, only stories of those events affect us. My father and I may have shared numerous experiences, but, as I was constantly finding out, we rarely shared their stories; we din't know how to listen to one another.”
― Rabih Alameddine

“Ruhe gibt es nicht, bis zum Schluss. Und dann? Auch am Schluss steht noch ein Fragezeichen.
(There is no peace until the end and even then there would still be a question mark.)”
― Klaus Mann, Der Wendepunkt

“When I'm painting people in clothes I'm always thinking very much of naked people, or animals dressed.”
― Lucian Freud