Some people study a text very deeply. The people are my text. I study their words and what their words sound like, over and over again.

Self-esteem does not come from surrounding yourself with people and things that seem to increase your value. Real self-esteem is an integration of an inner-value with things in the world around you.

Movies, as evidenced by a chorus of protesting and celebrating Americans, influence broader trends.

I'm interested when things are upside down - because there are so many possibilities in that one moment. There is a lot that is exposed.

Listening is not just hearing what someone tells you word for word. You have to listen with a heart. I don't want that to sound touchy-feely; it is not. It is very hard work.

I remember from my father's funeral that the minister kept using a metaphor about life of a prism. And I took that away like a cherished image.

Poverty makes it very difficult in an already competitive world for kids to get on a straight track where they can actually love learning.