“He was the antithesis of the gaudy mafiosi”
― Dick Lehr, quote from Black Mass
“press, and Connolly had a plan, a work-in-progress”
― Dick Lehr, quote from Black Mass
“The newly arrived Irish Catholics took immediately to Southie's grievance list with outside force. Indeed, it became holy writ as the community coalesced around church and family, forming a solid phalanx against those who did not understand their ways. Over the decades since then, nothing had galvanized Southies more than a perceived slight by an outsider who would change The Way Things Are.”
― Dick Lehr, quote from Black Mass
“There was some admiration for the way he handled himself. At least back then, there was a sense he would be loyal to his friends. That was the culture of the time. It was incredibly tribal, and the gang affiliation meant so much to poor city kids.”
― Dick Lehr, quote from Black Mass
“– Мистър Бог няма лице.
Обърнах се към нея и повдигнах въпросително вежди: „Как така?“ Ана отново се допря до ухото ми:
– Щото няма нужда да се обръща, за да види всички. Зат’ва! – после се облегна на пейката и, потвърждавайки с кимане своята увереност, скръсти ръце, с което показа, че слага точка по въпроса.
На път за вкъщи я попитах какво бе искала да каже с думите „няма нужда да се обръща“.
– Ами аз си имам „предница“, имам си и „задница“, зат’ва трябва да се обръщам, ако искам да видя какво има отзад. А Мистър Бог не трябва.
– А какво прави той тогава?
– Мистър Бог има само предница, той няма задница.
– О – кимнах на свой ред аз, – разбирам.
Идеята, че Мистър Бог няма задница, ми се стори удивително смешна и с все сила се опитах да потисна смеха си. Не успях и след малко избухнах. Ана бе леко озадачена от моя изблик.
– За к’во се смееш?
– Просто на идеята, че Мистър Бог няма задница. Ана присви за миг очи и прихна. Усмивката озари очите й и тя грейна като бенгалски огън.
– Той си няма и онова, нали? – смехът й се разнесе по улицата, издигайки по нея малки барикади. Всички отявлени и самодоволни християни се спънаха в смеха и се намръщиха.
– Мистър Бог си няма дупе – си пееше Ана по мелодията на един християнски химн. Намръщените физиономии гледаха все по-скандализирано и ужасено.
– Отвратително! – каза Неделният Костюм.
– Малка дивачка! – изскърцаха Неделните Обувки.
– Дяволско изчадие! – отсече Джобният Часовник с полюляваща се от жилетката верижка, но Ана продължаваше, смеейки се заедно с Мистър Бог.
По пътя към къщи тя упражняваше новооткритата си игра. Както се хвърляше с духовното си същество в обятията на Мистър Бог, така се хвърляше с физическото си същество в моите.
„Мистър Бог няма дупе“ не беше шега, Ана не се държеше като непослушно или глупаво дете. Това бе просто изригване на нейния дух. С тези думи тя се спусна към Мистър Бог и той я улови. Ана знаеше, че ще я улови, знаеше, че нищо не я грози. Наистина нямаше друг начин, просто трябваше да се направи. Това бе нейният начин да бъде спасена.
И с мен си играеше така. Заставаше на известно разстояние, затичваше се и се хвърляше в прегръдките ми. Затичването беше целенасочено и активно, миг след като отскочеше, оставаше напълно пасивна и неподвижна. Не полагаше никакво усилие да ми помогне, за да я хвана, никакво усилие за собствената си сигурност. Сигурността за нея не бе нито едно от тези неща, сигурността означаваше да се довериш на другия.”
― Fynn, quote from Mister God, This is Anna
“She did not like seeing her loved ones like this, bent over with sorrow; everything in her wanted to cry out, to thrash and scream at the sight of it. But she knew that great grief came from great love, and that their grief was an honor to her. And she did love them so very much.”
― Anne Ursu, quote from The Shadow Thieves
“We spend so much time being afraid of failure, afraid of rejection. But regret is the thing we should fear most. Failure is an answer. Rejection is an answer. Regret is an eternal question you will never have the answer to.”
― Trevor Noah, quote from Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
“Rhyme is bullshit. Rhyme says that everything works out in the end. All harmony and order. When I see a rhyme in a poem, I know I'm being lied to. Go ahead, laugh! It's true—rhyme's a completely bankrupt device. It's just wishful thinking. Nostalgia.”
― Tobias Wolff, quote from Old School
“I also thought about that seminar classmate on Adam's ninth birthday. Adam had insisted on going to a pizza-and-games arcade for his party. The only person he'd invited besides his sisters was someone I'll call Lonnie, whom Adam claimed to be his girlfriend. Although I had often heard Adam sing about Lonnie, I had never met her, or seen Adam interact with any girl. I was afraid that he would start humping her leg the second she came in range. These were fears I'd sustained since before he was born; I though all people with Down syndrome were grossly overaffectionate. I was grossly wrong.”
― Martha N. Beck, quote from Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic
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