1. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single woman in possession of a grad school stipend, must be in want of a ceramics class.”

2. “Shall I compare thee to my yoga classes? Thou art more messy and more expensive.”

3. “Doubt thou the kiln will fire. Doubt that the glaze doth take. Doubt that you will ever buy a home. But never doubt that you’re going to make a plate, goddamnit.”

4. “You should be bisqued, and often, and before the clay dries out.”

5. “Let me not to the marriage of handle to mug admit I forgot to score and slip.”

6. “All beautiful dinner sets are alike; each ugly dinner set is ugly in its own way.”

7. “Reader, I made a planter for my ficus.”

- - -

The author would like to thank Eyal, Tarushi, Hannah, Rachel, and Mary Ruth.