Nothing is so essential as dignity…Time will reveal who has it and who has it not.

As for discipline—it's important, but sort of overrated. The more important virtue for a writer, I believe, is self-forgiveness. Because your writing will always disappoint you. Your laziness will always disappoint you.

Sometimes life is too hard to be alone, and sometimes life is too good to be alone.

the health of the planet is affected by the health of every individual on it !

Being a woman did not look enviable to me, even when it looked admirable. It looked like nonstop sacrifice and service. Because it was. Being a woman seemed vulnerable and sad. Even the strong women I knew - and they were all strong - had earned their strength through enduring huge disappointments and tremendous struggles.

I was perfectly happy in my boring life before you came along.

We're miserable because we think that we are mere individuals, alone with our fears and flaws and resentment and mortality.