She knows who she is, because she knows who she isn't.

We obviously need the truth. We're living in a country of lies.

My main strength as a young writer was that I had no fear of making mistakes. I knew I would and I knew I could and would learn from them.

Everyone understands that love comes in many different packages and is used in many different ways. You cannot love beyond your years, nor can you fail to love beneath them... In other words, I think you get the love you need when you open your heart.

Rage is to writers what water is to fish.

I used to go up to her house. She lived upstate [in New York] and I lived in Manhattan; you're living in a lot of noise and my career was being built. For me to spend time with Nina [Simone] is to spend a lot of quiet time.

I am proud of the hip hop generation. They are good business people and, actually, good people.