It's as if I've arrived in a place where it's all spirit and no body -- an overwhelming sense of calm . . . I actually began to feel blessed.

One should be able to return to the first sentence of a novel and find the resonances of the entire work.

Sometimes being a friend means mastering the art of timing. There is a time for silence. A time to let go... And a time to prepare to pick up the pieces when it's all over.

A myth is more powerful - and more lasting - than reality.

Old as he was, he still missed his daddy sometimes.

The music in his laughter had a way of rounding off the missing notes in her soul.

There is a problem in America. An Irish or Polish American can write a story and it's an American story. When a Black American writes a story, it's called a Black story. I take exception to that. Every artist has articulated to his own experience. The problem is that some people do not see Blacks as Americans.