I knew real show business from my father, who had been an actor since he left the world of boxing.

I don't ever want to be a sentimentalist. I prefer to be a realist. I'm not a romantic really.

Writing can give full meaning to characters and avoid pure stereotype.

One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter.

My grandmother though, began to prepare in her own neurotic - and I think psychotic - way to face racism. So she taught us to be racist, which is something I had to undo later when I got to Michigan, you know.

Don't you try and go through life worried if someone had liked you or not. You best make sure that they are doing right by you.

I think the extent to which I have any balance at all, any mental balance, is because of being a farm kid and being raised in those isolated rural areas.