She took my hand and pulled me after her, her shoulders giving off a sweet peppermint concoction that the bodies of young women sometimes produce to make my life more difficult.

I love librarians more than any other people in the world. When I was an immigrant kid, they’ve made me feel like a human being and they gave me books that taught me English.

Do not throw away your heart. Keep your heart. Your heart is all that matters ... Throw away your ancestors! ... Throw away your shyness and the anger that lies just a few inches beneath ... Accept the truth! And if there is more than one truth, then learn to do the difficult work -- learn to choose. You are good enough, you are HUMAN ENOUGH, to choose!

If I still lived in Russia, I'd be dead... or a really effective oligarch.

We are now part of this giant machine where every second we have to take out a device and contribute our thoughts and opinions.

My first book really did change my life. It allowed me to fully express myself. There was a sense that I was worth something as an artist.

Remember this... develop a sense of nostalgia for something, or you'll never figure out what's important.