5 Quotes by Randon Billings Noble

In Russia a devout man or a woman might have lived as a 'poustinik,' living alone but not in isolation, always ready to welcome and serve a stranger. The Russian word for 'solitude' means 'being with everybody.

MuscleIt takes strength to move between opposites, between safety and danger, steeping and swimming, 'x' and 'y,' love and love.

The tension between not being let in and not being let go fixes us. Especially when it's the not-being-let-in that won't let you go. You're held at the threshold. You're turned away, but you can't turn away.

Before we leave, we pick up the casings, bright red in the dull dead leaves. My cheek is also red. The next day a bruise will show. But for now it is hot, and I am happy, exhilarated, still quivering with the anticipation of something already passed.

HAUNT: to materialize, appear in, frequent, visit, disturb, torment. None of these captures the contrary nature of hauntedness - to be filled with hollowness, to ache for something not entirely wanted, to have and have not.