The first sentence of a book is a handshake, perhaps an embrace.
Jhumpa Lahiri, My Life Sentences, The New York Times (Mar. 17, 2012)

Who are we, if not measured by our impact on others? That’s who we are! We’re not who we say we are, we’re not who we want to be — we are the sum of the influence and impact that we have, in our lives, on others.
Neil deGrasse Tyson on Carl Sagan at yesterday’s Library of Congress event celebrating Sagan (via explore-blog)

...

Today I was fortunate. Today was a great day. Today Esther Hershenhorn Skyped with me for two hours. 6 weeks ago I made a wise choice and contacted Esther. She spent time with my manuscript. I mean really spent time with it. She brought my manuscript to life in a way that I needed to see. Today Esther showed me what potential in a manuscript feels like, sounds like, and how it is shaped.  

Today I spun my chair around after Skype and felt like a writer for the first time. I felt my dream happening. 

Thank you Esther! 

P.S. I found a statue of an elephant in Paris that faces East… Perfect.