• aberrant- (adj) deviating from the ordinary, usual, or normal type; exceptional; abnormal.
• alfresco- (adv) out-of-doors; in the open air
• anachronism- (n) something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, especially a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time
• arcane- (adj) understood by few; mysterious or secret
• ardent- (adj) enthusiastic or passionate
• arduous- (adj) involving or requiring strenuous effort; difficult and tiring
• avant-garde- (adj) new and unusual or experimental ideas, esp. in the arts, or the people introducing them
• bane- (n) a cause of great distress or annoyance.
• banal- (adj) so lacking in originality as to be obvious and boring
• beguile- (v) charm or enchant (someone), sometimes in a deceptive way
• bolster- (v) support or strengthen; prop up
• cache- (n) a collection of items of the same type stored in a hidden or inaccessible place
• cadence- (n)a modulation or inflection of the voice
• cajole- (v) persuade someone to do something by sustained coaxing or flattery
• catharsis- (n) the process of releasing, and thereby providing relief from, strong or repressed emotions
• caveat- (n) a warning or caution of specific stipulations, conditions, or limitations
• circuitous- (adj) (of a route or journey) longer than the most direct way
• clandestine- (adj) kept secret or done secretively, esp. because illicit
• contiguous*- (adj) sharing a common border; touching
• disabuse- (v) persuade (someone) that an idea or belief is mistaken or misguided; to rid (oneself, another person, etc) of a such an idea
• dissonance- (n) disagreement or incongruity; lack of harmony
• doldrums*- (n) a state or period of inactivity, stagnation, or depression
• ebullient- (adj) cheerful and full of energy
• encroach*- (v) intrude on (a person's territory or a thing considered to be a right).
• ephemeral- (adj) lasting for a very short time
• epithet- (n) an adjective or descriptive phrase expressing a quality characteristic of the person or thing mentioned
• ersatz- (adj) (of a product) made or used as a substitute, typically an inferior one, for something else
• ethereal- (adj) extremely delicate and light in a way that seems too perfect for this world
• exacerbate- (v) make (a problem, bad situation, or negative feeling) worse
• flagrant- (adj) (of something considered wrong or immoral) conspicuously or obviously offensive
• flux*- (n) the action or process of flowing or flowing out; continuous change
• gamut- (n) the complete range or scope of something
• gregarious- (adj) (of a person) fond of company; sociable
• halcyon- (adj) calm; peaceful; joyful; carefree
• harbinger- (n) a person or thing that announces or signals the approach of another
• hubris*- (n) excessive pride or self-confidence
• indelible- (adj) that cannot be eliminated, forgotten, or changed
• ineffable*- (adj) too great or extreme to be expressed or described in words
• libidinous- (adj) showing excessive sexual drive; lustful
• macabre- (adj) disturbing and horrifying because of involvement with or depiction of death and injury
• misgivings- (n) V=a feeling of doubt or apprehension about the outcome or consequences of something
• nascent- (adj) (esp. of a process or organization) just coming into existence and beginning to display signs of future potential; developing
• neophyte- (n) a person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief
• nomenclature- (n) the devising or choosing of names for things, esp. in a science or other discipline
• obstinate*- (adj) stubbornly refusing to change one's opinion or chosen course of action, despite attempts to persuade one to do so
• panoply- (n) a complete or impressive collection of things
• peregrination- (n) a long journey or period of wandering
• perfunctory- (adj) (of an action or gesture) carried out with a minimum of effort or reflection
• placid- (adj) pleasantly calm or peaceful; unruffled; tranquil; serenely quiet or undisturbed
• qualm- (n) V=an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, esp. about one's own conduct; a misgiving
• quintessence- (n) the most perfect embodiment of something
• quixotic- (adj) exceedingly idealistic; unrealistic and impractical
• rapprochement- (n) an establishment or reestablishment of harmonious relations
• sacrosanct*- (adj) (esp. of a principle, place, or routine) regarded as too important or valuable to be interfered with
• sartorial- (adj) of or relating to tailoring, clothes, or style of dress
• solipsistic- (adj) of or characterized by solipsism, or the theory that only the self exists, or can be proved to exist
• stanchion*- (n) an upright bar, post, or frame forming a support or barrier
• stymie- (v) a situation or problem presenting such difficulties as to discourage or defeat any attempt to deal with or resolve it
• suffuse- (v) to overspread with or as with a liquid, color, etc.
• sunder- (v) split apart
• tableau- (n) a picturesque grouping of persons or objects; a striking scene
• taciturn*- (adj) (of a person) reserved or uncommunicative in speech; saying little
• tenet- (n) a principle or belief, esp. one of the main principles of a religion or philosophy
• transient- (adj) lasting only for a short time; impermanent
• traverse- (v) to pass or move over, along, or through
• trenchant*- (adj) keen; effective
• ubiquitous*- (adj) present, appearing, or found everywhere.
• unabashedly*- (adv) not ashamed, disconcerted, or apologetic; boldly certain of one's position
• vagary*- (n) an unexpected and inexplicable change in a situation or in someone's behavior
• vestige- (n) a trace of something that is disappearing or no longer exists; remnant
• viable*- (adj) capable of living; capable of working successfully
• voluminous*- (adj) occupying or containing much space; large in volume, in particular.
• wane- (v) to decrease in strength, intensity, etc.
• whet*- (v) to make keen or eager; stimulate
• zenith- (n) a highest point or state; culminating point; the strongest or most successful period of time

Quotes

• "'When I was a kid,' I said, 'I had this puzzle with all fifty states on it-- you know, the kind where you have to fit them all together. And one day I got it in my head that California and Nevada were in love. I told my mom, and she had no idea what I was talking about. I ran and got those two pieces and showed it to her-- California and Nevada, completely in love. So a lot of the time when we're like this" -- my ankles against the backs of your ankles, my knees fitting on the backs of your legs, my stomach against your back, my chin folding into your neck-- 'I can't help but think about California and Nevada, and how we're a lot like them. If someone were drawing us from above as a map, that's what we'd look like; that's how we are.' For a moment you were quiet. And then you nestled in and whispered, 'Contiguous.' And I knew you understood."
• "The proper verb for depression is sink."
• "The first three nights we spent together, I couldn't sleep. I wasn't used to your breathing, your feet on my legs, your weight in the bed. In truth, I still sleep better when I'm alone. But now I allow that sleep isn't always the most important thing."
• "The natural state. Our moods change. Our lives change. Our feelings for each other change. Our bearings change. The song changes. The air changes. The temperature of the shower changes. Accept this. We must accept this."
• "Every time I call you mine, I feel like I'm forcing it, as if saying it can make it so. As if I'm reminding you, and reminding the universe: mine. As if that one word from me could have that kind of power."
• "These words will ultimately end up being the barest of reflections, devoid of the sensations words cannot convey. Trying to write about love is ultimately like trying to have a dictionary represent life. No matter how many words there are, there will never be enough."
• "Sometimes it becomes a contest: Which is more stubborn, the love or the two arguing people caught within it?"
• " The nape of your neck. Even the sound of the word nape sounds holy to me. That and the hollow of your neck, the peek of your chest that your shirt sometimes reveals. These are the stations of my quietest, most insistent desire."
• "There are days you come home silent. You say words, but you're still silent. I used to bombard you with conversational crowbars, but now I simply let the apartment fall mute. I hear you in the room-- turning on music, typing on the keys, getting up for a drink, shifting your chair. I try to have my conversation with those sounds."
• "You never let things go unanswered for too long. Emails. Phone calls. Questions. As if you know the waiting is the hardest part for me."
• "When it's going well, the fact of it is everywhere. It's there in the song that shuffles into your ears. It's there in the book you're reading. It's there on the shelves of the store as you reach for a towel and forget about the towel. It's there as you open the door. As you stare off on the subway, it's what you're looking at. You wear it on the inside of your hat. It lines your pockets. It's the temperature. The hitch, of course, is that when it's going badly, it's in all the same places."
• "'You know, I'd get a tattoo with your name on it. Only, I want you to have the freedom to change your name if you want to.'"
• "The mistake is thinking there can be an antidote to the uncertainty."
• " [...] where it still seems like it might be possible, I look for that confirmation that if I don't have you, I'd still be a person someone would want."
• "I have already spent roughly five thousand hours asleep next to you. This has to mean something."