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.

We write because we believe the human spirit cannot be tamed and should not be trained.

Deal with yourself as a individual, worthy of respect and make everyone else deal with you the same way.

If you don't understand yourself you don't understand anybody else.

Nina Simone's music is incredibly honest. That's like saying, "Why does Jesus' word still stay around?" It's incredibly honest and it's good.

Photographers direct the eye toward a particular object. We who write, one hopes, are directing the heart and the soul.

There is always something to do. There are hungry people to feed, naked people to clothe, sick people to comfort and make well. And while I don't expect you to save the world I do think it's not asking too much for you to love those with whom you sleep, share the happiness of those whom you call friend, engage those among you who are visionary and remove from your life those who offer you depression, despair and disrespect.