I am honest; I try to be truthful. I like people and wish us well. We are not always deserving of our own best wishes.

When younger, I thought one of the particulars of being "Homo sapiens" was to communicate. I have not learned not to, though I am cautious when I try.

The poet Melvin B. Tolson once said "A civilization is judged only in its decline." That made sense to me. I would imagine the same is true for poets and tennis players.

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.

I'm an old storyteller. I tell the story. It's about the story.

School should be eleven months of the year.

We black women are the single group in the West intact. And anybody can see we're pretty shaky. We are, however (all praises), the only group that derives its identity from itself.