Gathering Blue' Was A Separate Book. I

Early On I Came To Realize Something, And It Came From The Mail I Received From Kids. That Is, Kids At That Pivotal Age, 12, 13 Or 14, They're Still Deeply Affected By What They Read, Some Are Changed By What They Read, Books Can Change The Way They Feel About The World In General. I Don't Think That's True Of Adults As Much.

I Feel Sorry For Anyone Who Is In A Place Where He Feels Strange And Stupid.

Genius Disregards The Boundaries Of Propriety. Genius Is Permitted To Shout If Shouting Is Productive.

The Worst Part Of Holding The Memories Is Not The Pain. It's The Loneliness Of It. Memories Need To Be Shared.

Now He Saw Another Elephant Emerge From The Place Where It Had Stood Hidden In The Trees. Very Slowly It Walked To The Mutilated Body And Looked Down. With Its Sinuous Trunk It Struck The Huge Corpse; Then It Reached Up, Broke Some Leafy Branches With A Snap, And Draped Them Over The Mass Of Torn Thick Flesh. Finally It Tilted Its Massive Head, Raised Its Trunk, And Roared Into The Empty Landscape.