Suddenly in high school, I'm in a predominantly Jewish atmosphere. Jewish people were my gate to white America.

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. When I was a kid, my grandfather said that "if you say a word often enough, it becomes you." Thinking of that later in life gave me this idea that I could try to become America by learning the words of people from many aspects of the country. It doesn't matter how educated they are. By living in the world and living their experiences, they bring extraordinary truths. I try to do those truths justice.

I don't talk a lot when I interview. My job is to get out of the way.

What you are will show, ultimately. Start now, every day, becoming, in your actions, your regular actions, what you would like to become in the bigger scheme of things.

I am lucky: I have fantastic doctors and a fantastic dentist.

Making your life is ultimately an extraordinarily creative endeavor.

People in power have to be careful about what comes out of their mouth. They have to find exactly the right word that can't be attacked.