Curtis Sittenfeld

I have always found the times when another person recognizes you to be strangely sad; I suspect the pathos of these moments is their rareness, the way they contrast with most daily encounters. That reminder that it can be different, that you need not go through your life unknown but that you probably still will—that is the part that’s almost unbearable.

I always thought I wanted to know a secret, or I wanted an event to unfold—I wanted my life to start—but in those rare moments when it seemed like something might actually change, panic shot through me.

tragedy, of course, often begat comedy

“I’m so happy that I can’t wipe the smile off my penis.”

I think I’m better at using rage and disappointment to fuel my creativity. Happiness makes me uneasy.