I wasn't trying to work out my own ancestry. I was trying to get people to feel slavery. I was trying to get across the kind of emotional and psychological stones that slavery threw at people.

I wasn't trying to work out my own ancestry. I was trying to get people to feel slavery. I was trying to get across the kind of emotional and psychological stones that slavery threw at people.

First forget inspiration. Habit is more dependable. Habit will sustain you whether you're inspired or not. Habit will help you finish and polish your stories. Inspiration won't. Habit is persistence in practice.

Well, writing was what I wanted to do, it was always what I wanted to do. I had novels to write so I wrote them.

He was like me - a kindred spirit crazy enough to keep on trying.

You are horror and beauty in rare combination.

I think people really need to think what it's like to have all of society arrayed against you.