diff --git a/app/components/QuoteBlock.js b/app/components/QuoteBlock.js
index ac373fe..8341a6e 100644
--- a/app/components/QuoteBlock.js
+++ b/app/components/QuoteBlock.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 
-import React from "react";
+import React, { useState } from "react";
 import Image from "next/image";
 import QuoteDecor from "./QuoteDecor";
 
@@ -11,7 +11,13 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
   author = "Jo Freeman",
   source = "The Tyranny of Structurelessness",
   avatarSrc = "assets/Quote_Avatar.svg",
+  id,
+  fallbackAvatarSrc = "assets/Quote_Avatar.svg", // Fallback avatar
+  onError, // Error callback
 }) => {
+  const [imageError, setImageError] = useState(false);
+  const [imageLoading, setImageLoading] = useState(true);
+
   // Variant configurations
   const variants = {
     compact: {
@@ -63,8 +69,60 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
 
   const config = variants[variant] || variants.standard;
 
+  // Use provided ID or generate a stable one based on content
+  const baseId = id || `quote-${author.toLowerCase().replace(/\s+/g, "-")}`;
+  const quoteId = `${baseId}-content`;
+  const authorId = `${baseId}-author`;
+
+  // Error handling functions
+  const handleImageError = (error) => {
+    console.warn(
+      `QuoteBlock: Failed to load avatar image for ${author}:`,
+      error
+    );
+    setImageError(true);
+    setImageLoading(false);
+
+    // Call error callback if provided
+    if (onError) {
+      onError({
+        type: "image_load_error",
+        message: `Failed to load avatar for ${author}`,
+        author,
+        avatarSrc,
+        error,
+      });
+    }
+  };
+
+  const handleImageLoad = () => {
+    setImageLoading(false);
+    setImageError(false);
+  };
+
+  // Validate required props
+  if (!quote || !author) {
+    console.error("QuoteBlock: Missing required props (quote or author)");
+    if (onError) {
+      onError({
+        type: "missing_props",
+        message: "QuoteBlock requires quote and author props",
+        quote: !!quote,
+        author: !!author,
+      });
+    }
+    return null; // Don't render if missing required props
+  }
+
+  // Determine which avatar to use
+  const currentAvatarSrc = imageError ? fallbackAvatarSrc : avatarSrc;
+
   return (
-    <div className={`${config.container} ${className}`}>
+    <section
+      className={`${config.container} ${className}`}
+      aria-labelledby={quoteId}
+      role="region"
+    >
       <div
         className={`${config.card} bg-[var(--color-surface-default-brand-darker-accent)] relative overflow-hidden`}
       >
@@ -74,19 +132,57 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
             className="pointer-events-none absolute z-0
                         left-0 top-0
                         w-full h-full"
+            aria-hidden="true"
           />
         )}
 
         <div className={`flex flex-col ${config.gap} relative z-10`}>
           <div className={`flex flex-col ${config.avatarGap}`}>
-            <Image
-              src={avatarSrc}
-              alt={`${author} Avatar`}
-              width={64}
-              height={64}
-              className={`filter sepia ${config.avatar}`}
-            />
-            <blockquote>
+            {/* Avatar with error handling */}
+            <div className="relative">
+              <Image
+                src={currentAvatarSrc}
+                alt={`Portrait of ${author}`}
+                width={64}
+                height={64}
+                className={`filter sepia ${
+                  config.avatar
+                } transition-opacity duration-300 ${
+                  imageLoading ? "opacity-0" : "opacity-100"
+                }`}
+                loading="lazy"
+                onError={handleImageError}
+                onLoad={handleImageLoad}
+              />
+
+              {/* Loading state */}
+              {imageLoading && (
+                <div
+                  className={`absolute inset-0 bg-gray-200 animate-pulse rounded-full ${config.avatar}`}
+                />
+              )}
+
+              {/* Error state - show initials */}
+              {imageError && !imageLoading && (
+                <div
+                  className={`flex items-center justify-center bg-gray-300 rounded-full ${config.avatar} text-gray-600 font-bold`}
+                >
+                  <span className="text-sm md:text-base lg:text-lg xl:text-xl">
+                    {author
+                      .split(" ")
+                      .map((n) => n[0])
+                      .join("")
+                      .toUpperCase()}
+                  </span>
+                </div>
+              )}
+            </div>
+
+            <blockquote
+              id={quoteId}
+              aria-labelledby={authorId}
+              className="relative"
+            >
               <p
                 className={`font-bricolage-grotesque font-normal ${config.quote} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] -indent-[0.5em] relative before:content-['\\201C'] after:content-['\\201D'] before:mr-[0.05em] after:ml-[0.05em] before:[font-family:var(--font-bricolage-grotesque)] after:[font-family:var(--font-bricolage-grotesque)]`}
               >
@@ -94,21 +190,24 @@ const QuoteBlock = ({
               </p>
             </blockquote>
           </div>
-          <div className="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-scale-008)] md:gap-[var(--spacing-scale-012)] xl:gap-[var(--spacing-scale-020)]">
-            <p
-              className={`font-inter font-normal ${config.author} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] uppercase`}
+          <footer className="flex flex-col gap-[var(--spacing-scale-008)] md:gap-[var(--spacing-scale-012)] xl:gap-[var(--spacing-scale-020)]">
+            <cite
+              id={authorId}
+              className={`font-inter font-normal ${config.author} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] uppercase not-italic`}
             >
               {author}
-            </p>
-            <p
-              className={`font-inter font-normal ${config.source} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] uppercase -indent-[0.5em] relative before:content-['\\201C'] after:content-['\\201D'] before:mr-[0.05em] after:ml-[0.05em] before:[font-family:var(--font-inter)] after:[font-family:var(--font-inter)]`}
-            >
-              {source}
-            </p>
-          </div>
+            </cite>
+            {source && (
+              <p
+                className={`font-inter font-normal ${config.source} text-[var(--color-content-inverse-primary)] uppercase -indent-[0.5em] relative before:content-['\\201C'] after:content-['\\201D'] before:mr-[0.05em] after:ml-[0.05em] before:[font-family:var(--font-inter)] after:[font-family:var(--font-inter)]`}
+              >
+                {source}
+              </p>
+            )}
+          </footer>
         </div>
       </div>
-    </div>
+    </section>
   );
 };