"For better or worse, I seem to gravitate toward writing about something or someone else, then have my own self shove its way into that story. It seems insanely narcissistic. But I also think there's a particular effect that comes from using my autobiography in service to another story, as opposed to being the subject. I'm much more comfortable working in that mode. And I do think I have a persona or mood that I keep coming back to: self-conscious, self-critical, unsure. I write a lot about bodies, particularly male ones, usually as a point of emphasis for my insecurities about my own."

“On banks, I make no apology for attacking spivs and gamblers who did more harm to the British economy than Bob Crow could achieve in his wildest Trotskyite fantasies, while paying themselves outrageous bonuses underwritten by the taxpayer. There is much public anger about banks and it is well deserved.”

“The conviction that the best way to prepare children for a harsh, rapidly changing world is to introduce formal instruction at anearly age is wrong. There is simply no evidence to support it, and considerable evidence against it. Starting children early academically has not worked in the past and is not working now.”

Source : David Elkind (1993). “Images of the Young Child: Collected Essays on Development and Education”, National Assn for the Education

“O help me Father in heaven to overcome and resist temptation in every form or shape.”

“Don't you realize that the sea is the home of water? All water is off on a journey unless it's in the sea, and it's homesick, and bound to make its way home someday.”

“It happened again this afternoon. Just the way it did that other night. We were talking--talking about how to protect her, actually--and then, suddenly, I looked at her and it was as if I'd found an entire universe in her eyes.”

“My own position is so far on the obsessive side of preparation and professionalism that I fear my point of view is not going to be shared by anyone.”

Source : "Jonny Wilkinson's autobiography reveals him to be a tortured soul" by Paul Rees, www.theguardian.com. November 10, 2011.

“Ensuring all kids have access to an effective, talented teacher needs to be a national priority.”

Source : "Presidential Teacher Corps: Building a 21st Century Teaching Force" by Sen. Michael Bennet, www.huffingtonpost.com. February 10, 2011.

“Up North you are holding your own. Everyone considers themselves a comedian.”