896 Quotes by Catherynne M. Valente

That's just the first part. What others call you, you become. It's a terrible magic that everyone can do — so do it. Call yourself what you wish to become.

At the snowy summit of all these things, however, is the fact that you simply cannot go about locking your siblings in towers when they misbehave. It is unseemly and betrays a sad lack of creativity.

One misfortune may be chance; two might be divine punishment. Three is a plan.

She knew herself, how she had slowly, over years, become a cat, a wolf, a snake, anything but a girl. How she had wrung out her girlhood like death.

Punishment doesn't mean you aren't loved. On the contrary. You can only punish someone you love.

It's not a game if you don't cheat, it's just two sods making a mess with fifty-two pieces of paper.

I'm lonely, whispered Doctor Callow. Don't be. There's a million worlds to play with.

they climbed their ladders to wheedle and prune the trees into holiness

A prophetic world that can never come true.