I think novels just really show us the deepest parts of people's hearts, and you cannot walk away anymore and say, "I don't know."

I think it's hard for an outsider to capture the flavor of a community and all its nuances, so ultimately Haitian-Americans need to start sharing intimate accounts of their stories.

If a woman is worth remembering,' said my grandmother, 'there is no need to have her name carved in letters.

Love is like the rain. It comes in a drizzle sometimes. Then it starts pouring and if you're not careful it will drown you.

When you write, it’s like braiding your hair. Taking a handful of coarse unruly strands and attempting to bring them unity. Your fingers have still not perfected the task. Some of the braids are long, others are short. Some are thick, others are thin. Some are heavy. Others are light. Like the diverse women of your family. Those whose fables and metaphors, whose similes and soliloquies, whose diction and je ne sais quoi daily slip into your survival soup, by way of their fingers.

When you are working on something, you have to believe that people will still be reading when you're done!

Art is a luxury but also a necessity.