"The spell consumed 95 percent of her energy but she was surprised to see that no one noticed; the wafer-thin 5 percent version of her sufficed. She kept a list on her desk of all the things that used to make her happy:

Zydeco music
Dogs
My work
Rainy days
Thai food
Body surfing
My friends

But she couldn’t generate enough sadness and regret to free herself."

—The First Bad Man, page 258

Packaged with excerpt; authenticity verified with Miranda July’s signature.