Lies cannot nourish or protect you. Only freedom from fear, freedom from lies, can make us beautiful, and keep us safe.

The opposite of faith is not doubt, it’s certainty.

Peace is joy at rest. Joy is peace on its feet. quoting her pastor in Salon, April 25, 2003

You are going to love some of your characters because they are you or some facet of you, and you are going to hate some of your characters for the same reason.

There is nothing more touching to me then a family picture where everyone is trying to look his or her best, but you can see what a mess they all really are.

You don't want to spend your time around people who make you hold your breath. You can't fill up when you're holding your breath. And writing is about filling up, filling up when you are empty, letting images and ideas and smells run down like water - just as writing is also about dealing with the emptiness.

There is nothing as sweet as a comeback, when you are down and out, about to lose, and out of time.