If Mumia Abu-Jamal has nothing important to say, why are so many powerful people trying to shut him up?

Books are an attempt to control something that's uncontrollable.

Things seem to fall apart inevitably.

If I had only a negative side of things to present, I think I would have much less of a drive to do it. Because what would be the point?

Books are an attempt to control something that's uncontrollable. That's one of the beauties of African American life. There was this thing called slavery and adjustments were made. It literally destroyed millions, but it didn't destroy the inner lives of all the people who experienced it. There are still horrible things that go on because of the myth of race, but we don't have to succumb totally. If I had only a negative side of things to present, I think I would have much less of a drive to do it. Because what would be the point?

Good writing is always about things that are important to you, things that are scary to you, things that eat you up.

I'm still vulnerable and still weak.