The most important question in the world is, 'Why is the child crying?'

Writing poems is my way of celebrating with the world that I have not committed suicide the evening before.

Artists are messengers whose responsibility is to unite the world -- a faith that will lead not to destruction but to transformation.

I realized I was a country person - I'm just not used to small spaces.

Part of what confuses people in times of upheaval is that you're getting so many different points of view and directions and so and so, how to do this and do that. And a lot of it is written in a language that honestly most people cannot understand.

My mother was very strong. Once, she picked up a coconut and smashed it against my father's head. It taught me about women defending themselves and not collapsing in a heap.

I can easily imagine Obama sitting down and talking to any leader - or any person - in the world, with no baggage of past servitude or race supremacy to mar their talks.