The job facing American voters… in the days and years to come is to determine which hearts, minds and souls command those qualities best suited to unify a country rather than further divide it, to heal the wounds of a nation as opposed to aggravate its injuries, and to secure for the next generation a legacy of choices based on informed awareness rather than one of reactions based on unknowing fear.

Poetry and art nourish the soul of the world with the flavor-filled substances of beauty, wisdom and truth.

Everywhere we shine death and life burn into something new.

From her gospel-singing mother Cissy Houston, her legendary pop-diva cousin Dionne Warwick, and her Queen of Soul godmother Aretha Franklin, she [Whitney Houston] inherited gifts for skillfully interpreting lyrics and endowing them with new depth and jeweled nuance.

Learning to cultivate an awareness of the known and unknown within one's being often leads to a healthier and more realistic sense of self.

The fate that condemns or saves one sooner or later often condemns or saves another.

In a world gushing blood day and night, you never stop mopping up pain.