“There's nothing to be gained from passive observance, the simple documenting of conditions, because, at its core, it sets a bad example. Every time something is observed and not fixed, or when one has a chance to give in some way and does not, there is a lie being told, the same lie we all know by heart but which needn't be reiterated.”
“Our town was rigid in many ways, in terms of the uniformity of things, the colors of skin, the makes of cars, the lushness of the lawns, but on top of that it was sort of a blank canvas so-and again, I guess this is true of any child-I was ready to quickly accept the sudden and total substitutions of all I knew to be true.”
“It's our theory that everything trickles down from there, ... That if you have high salaries, good conditions, you have good support. You have a lot of communication between teachers, you pay for teachers' supplemental training, and the students learn.”
“I'd rather people just borrow the idea and do their own thing in their own community, ... Whenever people can just start on their own, without our imprimatur, all the better. The model works, but we don't own the patent.”
“I don't think there's a neighborhood where more writers live. There is no neighborhood in the world - and I've looked - with more independent bookstores in such a small area.”
“[After this interview Eggers is off to a meeting in midtown Manhattan. Then come more appointments and the following day a long drive to Pittsfield, Mass., where he will work a fund-raiser for Word Street, a tutoring center inspired by 826 NYC. His black travel bag sits at my feet like a dog begging to go for a walk.] I'm trying to cut down on travel, ... But with things like this, I really don't want to say no.”
