Slavery was a long slow process of dulling.
The only black people you found were occasional characters or characters who were so feeble-witted that they couldn't manage anything, anyway. I wrote myself in, since I'm me and I'm here and I'm writing.
Forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable.
Every story I create, creates me. I write to create myself.
I just knew there were stories I wanted to tell.
I have this theory that anything that happens to you that leaves you alive and intact can be used somewhere in your writing.