Every revolution begins as consciousness because some group of people has to imagine change. You have to have the idea of change or at least have a hope before you can proceed. And that stage goes very quickly because a contagion of consciousness is within your control. But when you get to the stage of institutional change, it becomes a much slower process.

Power in this country is often like hemophilia; it passes through women and then men get it.

A lot of my generation are living out the un-lived lives of our mothers.

I can only tell you the kind of power I want, which is the power to persuade. But I do not want the power to tell other people what to do. Persuade assumes that the other person is going to make the decision. Especially as a writer and an activist, I want the power to put ideas and possibilities out there, but I understand that they will only work if they are freely chosen, so I don't want the power to dictate or to force the choice, ever.

Power can be taken, but not given. The process of the taking is empowerment in itself.

You are the leader you've been waiting for.

Writing is the only thing that, when I do it, I don't feel I should be doing something else.