“he will struggle / with demons. He prays but / could continue forever with” – Maya Williams, “A Facebook Message From My Stepmother”

“Jimmy Butler just wants to work hard and be the man” – Trey Kerby, on the founder of Big Face Coffee

“I’ll tell you what – after seeing Los Angeles…well, I guess I seen something every bit as stupefying as you’d see in any of them other places” – The Stranger, ‘The Big Lebowski’

“I said that there are prayers even to say upon witnessing lightning.” – Chloe N. Clark, “We Who Vanish”

“There’s only one rule I know of, babies—God damn it, you’ve got to be kind.” – Kurt Vonnegut, ‘God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater’

“No reverting and no instant replay, but I remember what the air felt like at every major juncture.” – Sawako Nakayasu, “7.8.2003”

“a practice // we talking about,” – Ross Gay, ‘Be Holding’

“[My parents] liked having the pool in the courtyard. My mother said it wasn’t the sea but it was nice to open the door and have some water.” – lê thi diem thúy, ‘The Gangster We Are All Looking For’

“I fell at the party. / I’m still at the party.” – Joshua Beckman and Matthew Rohrer, ‘Nice Hat. Thanks.’