My father came back one day and forced my mother to submit to him. He raped her, holding a knife.

I have reason to be shy. I've been hurt plenty.

Twenty-five years is a long time for a girl to live out of a trunk, and after looking over a few houses, I fell in love with one in Southwest Los Angeles.

Only those who are being burned know what fire is like.

There was one emotional outlet my people always had when they had the blues. That was singing.

What broke Mom's heart was realizing that her children knew nothing and cared nothing about the better side of life.

We miss a lot in life because we don't know when to quit, what to leave out.