Charles Baxter

When all the details fit in perfectly, something is probably wrong with the story.

In truth, there are only two realities: the one for people who are in love or love each other, and the one for people who are standing outside all that.

Forget art. Put your trust in ice cream.

Every relationship has at least one really good day. What I mean is, no matter how sour things go, there's always that day. That day is always in your possession. That's the day you remember. You get old and you think: well, at least I had that day. It happened once. You think all the variables might just line up again. But they don't. Not always. I once talked to a woman who said, "Yeah, that's the day we had an angel around.

There's nothing to talk about to strangers anymore, if you know what I mean. Everything I want to say, I say to her.

The worst mistakes I've made have been the ones directed by sweet-natured hopefulness.