As a young writer, I was on guard against the Latina in me, the Spanish in me because as far as I could see the models that were presented to me did not include my world. In fact, 'I was told by one teacher in college that one could only write poetry in the language in which one first said Mother. That left me out of American literature, for sure.

A book does not discriminate against any reader. All are welcome at the table of literature.

Reading and thoughtfulness and openness are the best way, I should think, to begin to address the richness that is in each of us.

Everyone needs a strong sense of self. It is our base of operations for everything that we do in life.

It's like my whole world is coming undone, but when I write, my pencil is a needle and thread, and I'm stitching the scraps back together.

It doesn't make any sense. If the SIM are policemen, secret or not, shouldn't we trust them instead of being afraid of them?

When we read, even if the characters are tragic or sad or disturbing, these are our brothers and sisters in the human family.