But nonviolence was never for the oppressor; it was for the oppressed.

A lot of people refuse to do things because they don't want to go naked, don't want to go without guarantee. But that's what's got to happen. You go naked until you die.

My work is a part of me and I know it. I have no reason to try to pick one part of me out from the rest. I only see my work, or rather I should say I see my work only telling my part of the human experience.

Poets can tell the truth as they see it. It’s the author’s story, the author’s voice.

[My] Books are like puppies and children: you love each one for different reasons. I don't actually have a favorite because, if I were honest, I'm always more excited about what is coming.

Life is a process where people mix and match, fall apart and come back together.

I think that too many strangers were in her [Nina Simone's] life, and not enough people that she knew and loved.