“The death of God left the angels in a strange position. They were overtaken suddenly by a fundamental question. One can attempt to imagine the moment. How did they look at the instant the question invaded them, flooding the angelic consciousness, taking hold with terrifying force? The question was, "What are angels?" New to questioning, unaccustomed to terror, unskilled in aloneness, the angels (we assume) fell into despair.” LooksMomentsLeftForceConsciousnessImaginePositionStrangeDespairAngelFundamentalsAssumingTerrorInstantQuestioningAngelicFlooding Book:Sixty stories Source: Sixty stories
“"How does one conquer fear, Don B.?" "One takes a frog and sews it to one's shoe," he said. "The left or the right?" Don B. gave me a pitying look. "Well, you'd look mighty funny going down the street with only one frog sewed to your shoes, wouldn't you?" he said. "One frog on each shoe."” WellsLooksDoeSaidLeftStreetsShoesConquerFrogsConquering Fear Author:Donald Barthelme
“And I sat there getting drunker and drunker and more in love and more in love...And you can never touch a girl in the same way more than once, twice, or another number of times however much you may wish to hold, wrap, or otherwise fix her hand, or look, or some other quality, or incident, known to you previously.” WayLooksMayHandsGirlWishNumbersQualityKnownSatWrapsIncidentsGetting Drunk Book:Sixty stories Source: Sixty stories
“Goals incapable of attainment have driven many a man to despair, but despair is easier to get to than that -- one need merely look out of the window, for example.” MenNeedsLooksGoalExampleEasierDespairWindowDrivenIncapableAttainment Book:Flying to America: 45 More Stories Source: Flying to America: 45 More Stories
“There is no moment that exceeds in beauty that moment when one looks at a woman and finds that she is looking at you in the same way that you are looking at her. The moment in which she bestows that look that says, "Proceed with your evil plan, sumbitch.” WayLooksMomentsEvilPlansThat MomentExceedEvil Plans Book:Flying to America: 45 More Stories Source: Flying to America: 45 More Stories
