For a writer it's a dream to sit and watch people as close as possible.

Power doesn't have to be on such a big scale for powerful things to occur. Within your own home, you can be a powerful woman as a mother, influencing your children's lives.

I've been reading poetry publicly for 20 years, and this is what you do - you express, you sometimes dig a bit to get a conversation started. That's the point of poetry. You're supposed to go, 'Hmmmm,' and 'Woooh!'

I don't write on demand - I wait for inspiration to come.

Soul music is about longevity and reaching and touching people on a human level - and that's never going to get lost.

For a writer it's a dream to sit and watch people as close as possible.

I chose No. 1 Ladies' Detective, or I'll say it chose me, and it was an absolute blessing, for the experience of being in Africa for seven months and learning so many different things, from languages to foods to greetings. On so many levels, it was an incredible experience.