Misunderstanding is my cornerstone. It's everyone's, come to think of it. Illusions mistaken for truth are the pavement under our feet.

In Kilanga, people knew nothing of things they might have had - a Frigidaire? a washer-dryer combination? Really, they'd sooner imagine a tree that could pull up its feet and go bake bread. It didn't occur to them to feel sorry for themselves.

The truth needs so little rehearsal.

No other continent has endured such an unspeakably bizarre combination of foreign thievery and foreign goodwill.

You can’t replace people you love with other people…But you can trust that you’re not going to run out of people to love.

I learned to produce whether I wanted to or not. It would be easy to say oh, I have writer's block, oh, I have to wait for my muse. I don't. Chain that muse to your desk and get the job done.

It kills you to see them grow up. But I guess it would kill you quicker if they didn't.