For the majority of the people it is a difficult place to live. That's a reality that we can't ignore. But there is also great beauty to it.

That's whatever news topic, whatever political process any country is going through - whenever they are in the news, that's when they exist. If you don't see them they don't exist.

In the 1980s, when people were just beginning to talk about AIDS, there were just a few categories of those who were at high risk: homosexuals, hemophiliacs, heroin addicts, and Haitians. We were the only ones identified by nationality.

The greatest gift anyone can give to a writer is time.

Often when you're an immigrant writing in English, people think it's primarily a commercial choice. But for many of us, it's a choice that rises out of the circumstances of our lives. These are the tools I have at my disposal, based on my experiences. It's a constant debate, not just in my community but in other communities as well. Where do you belong? You're kind of one of us, but you now write in a different language.

I think it is important to reach people through arts and literature, because then you establish a connection that's not an instant crisis.

People often think of Haiti as a place where you're not supposed to have any joy. I wanted to show that this is a place with joy.