The South is very beautiful but its beauty makes one sad because the lives that people live here, and have lived here, are so ugly.

The moment we break faith with one another, the sea engulfs us and the light goes out.

Remember, to hate, to be violent, is demeaning. It means you're afraid of the other side of the coin -- to love and be loved.

When Americans look out on the world, they see nothing but dark and menacing strangers who appear to have no sense of rhythm at all, nor any respect or affection for white people; and white Americans really do not know what to make of all this, except to increase the defense budget.

If you are going to be a writer there is nothing I can say to stop you; if you're not going to be a writer nothing I can say will help you. What you really need at the beginning is somebody to let you know that the effort is real.

One cannot deny the humanity of another without diminishing one's own.

You've got to tell the world how to treat you. If the world tells you how you are going to be treated, you are in trouble.