Civics is in fact politics, and politics is how things work not only in the political realm but in every other realm. It may be this simple mechanical glitch that unites everything. This is my philosophy.

The genius of our country is improvisation, and jazz reflects that. It's our great contribution to the arts.

History is malleable. A new cache of diaries can shed new light, and archeological evidence can challenge our popular assumptions.

You don't work on something for six years and be blind to the myriad of other approaches.

I subscribe to William Faulkner's' view that history is not just about what we were before but who we are now.

One of the things I really like about Ford's films is how there is always a focus on the way characters live, and not just the male heroes.

Do something that will last and be beautiful. It doesn't have to be a bridge-or a symphony or book or a business. It could be the look in the eye of a child you raise or a simple garden you tend. Do something that will last and be beautiful.