I'm the last of the truly tacky women. I do trash with flash and sleaze with ease.

From the age of 14 until I was 50, I just got on a treadmill and ran. I never stopped to assess what I was doing or to pat myself on the back.

I always try to balance the light with the heavy - a few tears of human spirit in with the sequins and the fringes.

I firmly believe that with the right footwear one can rule the world.

Through books and photographs, I saw a world that was not my own - and I realized that there was another world. That's why I'm concerned about education, because it helps our children see other worlds.

The first time I saw a picture of [fabled actress] Ethel Barrymore - she was on Broadway and she was wearing pearls. I thought, "That's who I should grow up to be." It's odd, because it was her physical image that I wanted; I had no idea what it was like actually to be her. In those days, we weren't bombarded by images the way we are now, and the ones we did have were more vivid in people's minds.

I've always been lucky enough to have great audiences. It has been quite a life.