I like good food. People want a certain taste, but when they're offered something else, they'll overeat. If they really are looking for chicken and someone gives them pork chops, they'll say, "I will have another." And that's because their satisfaction is not reached. So I thought I would make great food, but eat less of it. I tried it and I've taken off over 40 pounds.

I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way (s)he handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.

If you happen to fall in love with someone in another race, it's more difficult, because you have to translate yourself.

I learned a long time ago the wisest thing I can do is be on my own side, be an advocate for myself and others like me.

We must be warriors in the struggle against ignorance

Each child belongs to all of us and they will bring us a tomorrow in direct relation to the responsibility we have shown to them.

I look at some of the great novelists, and I think the reason they are great is that they're telling the truth. The fact is they're using made-up names, made-up people, made-up places, and made-up times, but they're telling the truth about the human being- what we are capable of, what makes us lose, laugh, weep, fall down, and gnash our teeth and wring our hands and kill each other and love each other.