Talking to yourself can be useful. And writing means being overheard.
-- Zadie Smith (Foreword)

Importance: This quote from very early on in the book shows Smith's intentionality when it comes to the highly intimate tone she takes on in the book. She states that the writing to come in the book is essentially a conversation taking place within herself, but that she externalizes it knowing that the reader will in effect overhear her thoughts and partake in the thinking process and emotional responses this 'eavesdropping' entails.

In those days, the sharp end of my spade was primed against chatty baristas, overly friendly mothers, needy students, curious readers -- anyone I considered a threat to the program.
-- Zadie Smith ("Peonies")

Importance: This quote reveals a lot about Smith's personality -- she is a busy person intent on completing the tasks set before her with minimal interruptions and distractions -- but also reveals something about the way she views life...