Quotes by David Levithan

If she were running through the rye, if she were headed towards the abyss, I would grab hold with every ounce of my strength, with every scared beat of my heart, with every thought that could only be for her. And if I were to be running the same way, I’d like to think she’d do the same. But maybe her hands would be busy holding the book. Maybe she wouldn’t see me, too intent on looking for Phoebe from the carousel. Or waiting for Holden to hold her, to wrap her in the pages of his arms, to say she was the only one who truly knew him, as I plunged past her, sad to be leaving, and a little happy to be away.

I find my greatest strength in wanting to be strong and my greatest bravery in deciding to be brave....If theres no feeling of fear then theres no need for courage.

I didnt want to see her. I was desperate to see her. I wanted to hold it together. I wanted to melt down right at her feet and scream, Look what youve done to me.

Theres no way for them to take away my sadness, but they can make sure I am not empty of all the other feelings.

Heres what I think. We all want someone to build a fort with. We want somebody to swap crayons with and play hide-and-seek with and live out imaginary stories with. We start out getting that from our family. Then we get it from our friends. And then, for whatever reasons, we get it in our heads that we need to get that feeling- that intimacy- from a single someone else. We call if growing up. But really, when you take sex out of it, what we want is a companion. And we make that so damn hard to find.

I can take everything on her face at face value, and thats valuable in a friend.

I hate the phrase more than friends, Joni told me one night not long ago. Its such nonsense. When Im going out with someone, were not more than friends - most of the time, were not even friends. More than friends makes no sense. Look at us. Theres nothing more than us.

Do you wonder why we wander?” Cal had asked.It was the night of the first snow; you could hear the branches bending and the iciclesfalling outside the window, beyond the wall.They were warmth together. They were hot breath and blankets and wrapping themselves

Truces may stop the battles, but part of you will always feel like youre at war.

Now that the day is almost done, the world of glass recedes, the butterfly threat diminishes. I imagine that were both here in this bed, that my invisible body is nestled against hers. We are breathing at the same pace, our chests rising and falling in unison. We have no need to whisper, because at this distance, all we need is thought. Our eyes close at the same time. We feel the same sheets against us, the same night. Our breath slows together. We split into different versions of the same dreams. Sleep takes us at the exact same time.

We come to a corner where there are a few people protesting the festivities. I dont understand this at all. Its like protesting the fact that some people are red-haired. In my experience, desire is desire, love is love.

I told her about the time that I got so tired of you stealing the sheets that in my sleep-weary logic I decided that the thing to do was to tie them around my legs, knot and all, and how, when you attempted to steal them that night, you ended up yanking me into you, and I was so startled that I sprang up, tripped, and was nearly concussed.

My mother said I should have a change of scenery. The word scenery made be think of a play. And as we were driving around, it made sense that way. Because no matter how much the scenery changed, we were still on the same stage.

But I dont like it, okay? I dont like how everything is changing. Its like when youre a kid, you think that things like the holidays are meant to show you how things always stay the same, how you have the same celebration year after year, and thats why its so special. But the older you get, the more you realize that, yes, there are all these things that link you to the past, and youre using the same words and singing the same songs that have always been there for you, but each time, things have shifted, and you have to deal with that shift. Because maybe you dont notice it every single day. Maybe its only on days like today that you notice it a lot. And I know Im supposed to be able to deal with that, but Im not sure I can deal with that.--David Levithan (p. 201 in galley)

I have always found peace among books.

I wish she could see how it hits him. The look on his face, his life caving in. Because then maybe she’d realize, if only for a split second, that even though the world doesn’t matter to her, she matters to the world.

Music is everywhere. It’s in the air between us, waiting to be sung.

The houses have been condemned on Memory LaneI’m tired of this struggle that leaves everything the sameI’ve tried so hard to make it workthat I’m dying insideWell, you can take my pastBut you can’t have my tomorrowPromises that remain promises are useless and they’re cheapI wish I could put a price on words so I could make them keepI put so much faith in youI lost all my faith in meWell, you can take my pastBut you can’t have my tomorrowI’m giving up on giving upI can’t leave it all to prayer‘Cause the first step in getting betteris knowing what’s not thereYou said you’d make it betterand that just makes it worseWell, you can take my pastBut you can’t have my tomorrowYes, I want my life to lastSo you can’t have my tomorrowNo, you can’t have my tomorrow

No, Tiny. Words. Passion. The danger of falling in love is you mistakenly believe the loved one is the only source of passion in your life. But there is passion everywhere. In music. In words. In the stories you tell and the stories you see. Find passion everywhere, and share it widely. Dont narrow it down to one thin line.

Part of my music is being alone, having that time to shut down all other noises to hear the tune underneath.