Books ARE a form of political action. Books are knowledge. Books are reflection. Books change your mind.

We read about how Ajax and Achilles will die for each other, but very little about the friendship of women.

If a Negro got legs he ought to use them. Sit down too long, somebody will figure out a way to tie them up.

The concept of physical beauty as a virtue is one of the dumbest, most pernicious and destructive ideas of the Western world, and we should have nothing to do with it.

Don’t beg anybody for anything, especially love.

My first-born. All I can remember of her is how she loved the burned bottom of bread. Can you beat that? Eight children and that's all I remember.

It had been the longest time since she had had a rib-scraping laugh. She had forgotten how deep and down it could be. So different from the miscellaneous giggles and smiles she had learned to be content with these past few years.