I was 4 and dictating stories into a tape recorder, and my mom typed them up.

Cynicism is a choice. Optimism is a better choice.

When people show you who they are, believe them. I carry that with me a lot. It has served me well.

I cannot keep track and lots of great shows go unnoticed.

You literally can shoot someone in the face on television and a 7-year-old can watch it. But you can't show the slight of a man's hip, because dear God, someone might think of sex. And while we all hope our kids grow up to have sex, we do not hope they grow up to shoot someone in the face.

Calling a show a 'guilty pleasure' is like saying 'I'm embarrassed to say I watch it but I can't stop.' That's not a compliment.

I'm a black woman every day, and I'm not confused about that. I'm not worried about that. I don't need to have a discussion with you about how I feel as a black woman, because I don't feel disempowered as a black woman.