I believe in the American theatre. I believe in its power to inform about the human condition, its power to heal ... its power to uncover the truths we wrestle from uncertain and sometimes unyielding realities.

I think that's the core of black aesthetics: the ability to improvise. That is what has enabled our [black people's] survival.

What comes forth from you as an artist cannot be controlled. But you have responsibilities as a global citizen. Your history dictates your duty. And by writing about black people, you are not limiting yourself. The experiences of African-Americans are as wide open as God's closet.

You get to the point where your demons, which are terrifying, get smaller and smaller and you get bigger and bigger.

The blues are important primarily because they contain the cultural expression and the cultural response to blacks in America and to the situation that they find themselves in. And contained in the blues is a philosophical system at work. And as part of the oral tradition, this is a way of passing along information.

All you need is the blues. To me, the blues is the book, it's the bible, it's everything.

Suffice it to say, I'm not poor.