To defend oneself against a fear is simply to insure that one will, one day, be conquered by it; fears must be faced.

Then I buckled up my shoes, and I started.

The primary distinction of the artist is that he must actively cultivate that state which most men, necessarily, must avoid: the state of being alone.

A man's balance depends on the weight he carries between his legs.

History is not a procession of illustrious people. It's about what happens to a people. Millions of anonymous people is what history is about.

I love America more than any other country in the world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. I think all theories are suspect, that the finest principles may have to be modified, or may even be pulverized by the demands of life, and that one must find, therefore, one's own moral center and move through the world hoping that this center will guide one aright.

In the invincible and indescribable squalor of Harlem ... I was tormented. I felt caged, like an animal. I wanted to escape. I felt if I did not get out I would slowly strangle.