Jealousy we understood and thought natural... But envy was a strange, new feeling for us. And all the time we knew that Maureen Peal was not the Enemy and not worthy of such intense hatred. The Thing to fear was the Thing that made her beautiful, and not us.

In Ohio seasons are theatrical. Each one enters like a prima donna, convinced its performance is the reason the world has people in it.

You looking good." "Devil's confusion. He lets me look good long as I feel bad.

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

New York is the last true city.

What's interesting about writing is the invention, the creative thing. Writing about myself is a yawn.

I wanted to separate color from race. Distinguishing color - light, black, in-between - as the marker for race is really an error.