My ace in the hole as a human being used to be my capacity for remembering birthdays. I worked at it. Whenever I made a new friend, I made a point of finding out his or her birthday early on, and I would record it in my Filofax calendar. – Susan Orlean
One of my favorite activities as a teen-ager was to watch television over the phone with my best friend. – Susan Orlean
I have long been one of those tedious people who rails against the coronation of student-athletes. I have heard the argument that big-time athletics bring in loads of money to universities. I dont believe the money goes anywhere other than back into the sports teams, but thats another story. – Susan Orlean
Whats funny is that the idea of popularity – even the use of the word popular – is something that had been mostly absent from my life since junior high. In fact, the hallmark of life after junior high seemed to be the shedding of popularity as a central concern. – Susan Orlean
The clouds were drifting over the moon at their giddiest speed, at one time wholly obscuring her, at another, suffering her to burst forth in full splendor and shed her light on all the objects around; anon, driving over her again, with increased velocity, and shrouding everything in darkness. – Charles Dickens, The Pickwick Papers