I had to cut a lot of things I wanted to keep [in The Art of Elegance]. I'm going to have to do a part two for sure.

I was a spiritual kid.

But there's the beauty of life beyond the bubble. It's possible for someone to see your wicked bits and still love you.

All my life, I'd been on the receiving end of my mother's endless tenderness and vigilant care. Being allowed to care for her during her recovery was a gift – the most rewarding experience in my life.

We were all given our opportunities to be ourselves. A little bit of ourselves.

New York. It's home to opera, Broadway, museums, the ballet and orchestra - everything that I love. The most real people in the world live there.

I auditioned for a solo in church and got it. I was about seven and I sang a song called, 'Jesus, I Heard You Had a Big House' and I remember people standing up at the end and me thinking, 'Oh, I think I'm going to like this.' That's how it all began. Sounds funny to say you got your start in church, but I did.